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 79 - I Have No Idea What I'm Doing

"Sh-Sheik?"

"Yes?"

Sheik didn't look up from his work on the bed as he continued what could only be described as extremely aggressive knitting. The movements were controlled but harsh, like he was violently killing something rather than creating...what appeared to be a scarf? It was deep blue, with red and white details, the pattern a little more intricate than Link would've expected.

Then again, it completely fit Sheik to get good at-and possibly even master-something out of pure spite. Impa had made Sheik start knitting as a way of increasing his dexterity, and it had clearly worked. It only took him a week and a half to start being able to make things, and rather quickly at that...and now he was just doing it to show off. And possibly rub it in someone's face. He'd never admit it'd be Impa's, though.

But that wasn't what Link was going to ask. No, he knew better than to do so. Sheik's worldview was something best glanced at through small cracks rather than viewed openly through a window.

"Wh-Why does the M-Master Sword have a s-scarf?"

"Swords get cold too, you know," Sheik said matter-of-factly. Link didn't know how to respond to that. "Besides, maybe this'll stabilise that moody piece of shit a bit so it'll let you do your thing without interruptions or guilt trips."

"O-Oh," Link said, walking over to the wall the sheathed Master Sword was leaning against, crouching down to inspect the little scarf that was wrapped around its handle. Dark blue (once more, it appeared to be Sheik's favourite colour), with purple and gold trimming, matching the sheath itself. It was...adorable. "I'm s-sure she appreciates it."

He touched the handle, and the sword's voice immediately echoed in his head.

...it serves no function whatsoever! And as for the stitch work? Well, he has a long way to go! All in all, an attempt was made.

Oh boy, Link decided not to reveal this to Sheik. The Domain wouldn't survive the ensuing tantrum.

But I like it.

You do?

It has been a long time since anyone has given me a gift, shoddy workmanship aside.

I'll...let him know the first bit.

"Sh-She likes it," Link lied.

Sheik paused, giving Link a look. "You keep calling it a she."

"Sh-She is," Link replied, shrugging.

Sheik considered the answer, then shrugged and continued his knitting.

"She had damn well better like it, I worked hard on it. Took me ages to finish-a whole fucking hour."

Link closed his eyes, so happy the various tailors and seamstresses that worked around the clock in the Domain to provide the soldiers with clothes couldn't hear him then. Pins and needles would definitely make unwelcome appearances in their nightmares for a long time to come, in that case.

"This is for you, by the way," Sheik added, nodding to his current work in progress.

"Wh-What is it?" Link asked, looking at the fabric with interest. It didn't have a definite shape yet.

"Socks."

"N-No scarf for m-me?" the Hero said, pouting.

"Not yet," Sheik said. "I'm not good enough yet. Starting with socks."

Well, that was new. And confusing, because while Link didn't know much about knitting, he had a feeling socks were, generally, a little more complicated to make than a scarf. Sheik admitting that he wasn't good enough at something, though? It almost made Link ask him if he was feeling well, but before he could explore this new avenue any further, there was a knock at the door.

"Fuck!" Sheik cursed, glaring at the door with hate in his eyes. "Dropped a damned stitch! This better be fucking good!"

"Excuse me, Master Link?" a Zora guard spoke through the door. "I was told to inform you that the last of the Gorons have arrived. They're about to enter the city.

Link hurried to the door opening it and making sure to give the Zora-one of the younger soldiers, probably barely out of basic training-a big smile and a nod of thanks.

"Th-Thank you," he said. "W-We'll be r-right out."

"Also," the guard interjected before Link could close the door, "it appears a large formation of Rito are on their way as well. They've been spotted by our mountain watch. They're some time away yet, estimated arrival in a few days."

Link thanked the guard again before closing the door, his grin growing wider. Not only had Yunobo finally made it, but Teba was coming as well? The relief was immense, the worry that had been gnawing at the back of his mind and supplying vivid images of the timid Goron dead on the road, or the Rito warrior shot out of the sky, finally fell silent. Now, if only they could hear some news of the Gerudo...

"Well," Sheik said, carefully folding his knitting and placing the equipment in his little basket (it was adorable to watch him carry it around), and then getting off the bed. "Looks like our army's growing yet again. Just missing Tiny and we've got a full house."

"Y-Yeah," Link said, putting his tunic on and retrieving the Master Sword, strapping it to his back. He considered removing the little scarf, but she chimed in as he reached for it:

Leave it on, please.

Okay...Link let his hand dangle at his side. He wasn't going to ask why she wanted it on. Maybe it was a veiled peace offering extended to Sheik, as a way of returning the gesture of goodwill he'd made in knitting the scarf in the first place.

When had Link turned into the mediator between a sapient sword and a cantankerous artificial-but-not-quite-artificial-after-all intelligence?

The strange turns his life took...

The arrival of the Gorons was celebrated loudly as they marched (or as close as the average Goron can get to a march) into the city, fully armed and armoured, along with a train of wagons containing a multitude of weapons and armour, in addition to raw material to make more.

Yunobo and his people had been busy, forging the equipment requested by the army, as the Zora and Hylian forges were unable to keep up with the demand. There were also several horse-pulled carriages, on top of which several cannons had been mounted, the same cannons Link and Yunobo had used on Death Mountain to drive Vah Rudania back into the crater of volcano. These weren't made to fire a Goron protected by a shield, though-the wagons were followed by carts loaded with giant bombs, taller than Link.

Standing at the top of the stairs to the palace (thankfully out of the immense crowd that had gathered to welcome their allies), Link didn't miss how Sheik's visible eye grew wide at the sight of the giant weapons, and noted to himself that under no circumstances should Sheik be allowed near the cannons unsupervised.

He'd rather not have to explain why half the Domain had been blown up.

"Link," Sheik said slowly, "can we-"

"N-No."

Better to rip it out by the root before it could start growing.

Sheik turned to look at him, a very exaggerated and fake pout plastered on his face. "You didn't even know what I was about to ask," he said.

"Y-Yes, I did," Link said, staring right back with a completely neutral expression. "Y-You're th-that predictable."

The pout disappeared, replaced with a scowl. "You never let me have any fun," he growled.

"W-Wasn't last n-night fun?" Link asked, unable to contain himself.

Sheik's scowl remained, but the way he turned back to watch the procession (and the very slightly tinge of pink on his cheek) told Link he'd won. He almost considered needling Sheik a little more, but then he spotted a familiar tuft of white hair amongst the Gorons, as well as a splash of light blue.

"Oh, there's Roly-Poly," Sheik said, pointing at the Goron as he came into view from behind on the carriages. He, too, was wearing armour that covered his front. The hard plate-like shell on a Goron's back was armour enough, but their soft bellies were vulnerable to swords, arrows, and spears. "Huh, guess even he looks tough in armour."

Well, there were limits to how intimidating someone like Yunobo could be, regardless of their equipment. Then again, the big grin on Yunobo's face as he waved to the crowd more or less neutralised any formidable qualities his appearance had.

Then again, appearances could deceive. When push came to shove, Link knew Yunobo wasn't to be underestimated. He could only hope the enemy would.

"I don't see their Boss, do you?" Sheik said, scanning the Gorons as the procession ended.

"N-No," Link confirmed, failing to spot the old Goron among the arrivals. "M-Maybe he's s-still on the w-way."

"Or maybe he's not coming," Sheik said, frowning. "Makes sense, with his back troubles. He'd just be in the way."

Link bit his lip. Maybe not the most diplomatic way to put it, but he found himself agreeing with Sheik. The Goron Big Boss, Bludo, while a formidable sight, was clearly not in his prime. His inability to participate in the fight against Vah Rudania only confirmed it. Link bore him no ill will, but he'd rather not have to worry about the Boss' back during the battle.

They watched as the procession came to halt in the square. Yunobo took the lead, to their surprise, apparently speaking for the newly arrived Goron. Next to him, he heard Sheik mutter.

"Hm...about this wide...and that long..."

"Wh-What are you t-talking about?" Link asked.

Sheik looked from Yunobo to Link, and then back to Yunobo, and said:

"I'm going to need more yarn."

Right, Link wasn't touching that with a ten-foot pole.

There were protocols to these things, and Link zoned out for a bit as Muzu-who was, for some godforsaken reason, the official greeter-spoke to Yunobo, who'd gone to the head of the procession, and officially welcomed them to the Domain.

The young Goron looked supremely uncomfortable at being the centre of attention, but he made it through the greeting, thanking Muzu and the Zora for their hospitality, expressing his hopes for continued cooperation between their peoples.

There was much rejoicing, as there usually is at these things. Link briefly wondered if he was turning cynical (an inevitability, probably, given his proximity to Sheik), as he found his interest in the whole ceremony waning quickly. He just wanted to say hi to Yunobo.

"Come on, let's go make sure he's not about to combust from all the attention," Sheik said as the ceremony ended with more cheering, and the crowd began to disperse, the Gorons taking their equipment to the various depots and armouries. "Hey, Roly-Poly!" he shouted, waving his arms.

Yunobo, who'd been busy directing where to take one of the huge cannons, looked around in confusion at the familiar nickname. Once he spotted Link, though, that big smile of his returned tenfold, and he waved a massive hand in greeting, and then held out his fist as they came close.

"Brother!" he exclaimed. "It's good to see you again, goro!"

"Y-You too, Y-Yunobo," Link said in return, knocking his fist against the Goron's, as he'd seen done throughout the Domain. It seemed to be the rocky people's way of shaking hands. He hid the slight wince at the impact; it was like punching a stone. "How are y-you?"

"Oh, I'm good, goro!" Yunobo replied. "Glad to finally be here, goro. It took us a while to finish the last cannon, but we made it on time, goro!"

"And fine work it is, Roly," Sheik said, looking up at the weapon with nothing but admiration on his face. "It's beautiful."

Yunobo blinked down at him. "I'm sorry, have we met, goro?" he asked. "Your voice sounds familiar..."

"Oh, we've met before," Sheik said mysteriously, giving Yunobo a wry smile. "In a distant past, shrouded by the veil of time, a friendship forged in fire, comrades in arms, a bond that can never be broken, though perhaps forgotten."

"Oh...goro..." Yunobo's smile quickly turned into a frown. "I'm sorry, goro," he said. "I can't remember..."

Link took pity on him. "It's Sh-Sheik, Yunobo," he said flatly. "The v-voice in th-the Slate?"

Recognition bloomed on the Goron's face, and he grinned once more.

"Oh! Of course! It's good to see you too, brother!" he more or less shouted, holding out his fist.

"You always have to ruin my awesome jokes," Sheik said, glaring at Link while bumping Yunobo's fist with his own. "I hope it's worth it."

"Every t-time," Link confirmed.

I certainly enjoy it, the Master Sword chimed in, her voice smug.

Shush, you!

Silence.

"But, how is this possible, brother?" Yunobo asked, looking closely at Sheik. "I thought you were stuck in the Slate, goro."

"It's a long story, Roly, but some shit happened and now I have a body. Also, a little brother, but that's an even longer story, and-"

He was cut off as an armoured Hylian bumbled past, knocking into Sheik with a crate he was carrying.

"Eugh," Sheik sighed with disgust. "And-"

He was cut off again, this time by a pair of Zora hurrying past.

"And-"

A horse neighed, loud enough to drown him out.

"Stop fucking interrupting me!" Sheik screamed at nothing in particular, his face red. He pointed at a poor, random Hylian man in the crowd. "Yes, that means you!"

Link shook his head and focused on Yunobo. "Your B-Boss?" he asked.

Yunobo, who'd looked a little worried at Sheik's outburst, shook his head. "Boss wasn't feeling well enough for the journey, goro," he said. "His back is still in pain."

"Oh, I'm s-sorry to hear th-that," Link said. "Wh-Who's in ch-charge, then?"

Yunobo scratched his cheek, looking a little embarrassed.

"I am, goro," he said. "Boss said I was the closest thing we had to a Champion, so he said I was the temporary Boss until the war's over." His head dropped, along with his voice. "I have no idea what I'm doing, goro," he confessed. "I don't know anything about commanding troops!"

Link smiled and patted Yunobo's lower arm (the only part of the Goron he could reach). "N-No one does," he said conspiratorially.

Yunobo's eyes widened. "Really, goro? But...you always looked like you knew exactly what you were doing, goro!"

"He didn't," Sheik said, suddenly appearing next to Link, apparently done giving a random Hylian a nervous breakdown and sending him on a guilt trip for something he didn't do. "We just made up shit as we went along."

The Goron didn't seem sure of what to make of this revelation. "Is that true for everyone, goro?" he asked uncertainly.

"Pretty much," Sheik said before Link could get a word in. "I mean, there are probably a lot of experienced field commanders around here, but not a single one of them has been in larger pitched battles. Not against enemies that matter, at any rate, and no, bokoblins don't count because they're all dumber than a Yiga who's spotted a banana in the distance."

He gave the cannon another admiring look.

"Besides, I think the Gorons are mostly going to be placed near the back of the lines, tending to the heavy artillery. That's what makes sense to me, anyway, rather than wasting time on training someone else to do it."

Yunobo nodded slowly. "Oh...that's good, goro," he said. "I don't know if I've got what it takes to be on the front, heh." He scratched his neck, plucking at the blue fabric wrapped around his neck, the same colour as Link's tunic. "Just a big coward, goro..."

"You're as brave as anyone else we've met, Roly," Sheik said, shaking his head. "You helped us defeat Vah Rudania, remember?"

"Y-Yeah," Link added, nodding fervently. "Y-You were just as m-much help as any of th-the other Ch-Champions!"

Sheik gave him an odd look. "Champions?" he muttered.

Yunobo seemed to cheer up a little, and that was good enough for Link. "Thanks, brothers!" he said. "That makes me a feel a little better, goro!"

Whatever he was about to say next was cut off as Sidon emerged from the nearby crowd, looking excited.

"Link, Sheik!" he shouted. "Our scouts just reported a column of horses approaching the Domain at great speed! They appear to be Gerudo!"

Yet again Link felt relief, and some of the weight on his shoulders lifting. One less thing to worry about. Unless... "J-Just a column?" he asked, anxiety already building.

"They're riding ahead of a much larger caravan," Sidon said, sensing his worry, grinning wider. "Don't worry, Link, it looks like they all made it. Some Hylians are riding out to meet them."

"Oh, th-that's good..."

"Pardon my rudeness, sir," Sidon said, turning to Yunobo. "I did not mean to ignore you. Welcome to the Domain! I am Prince Sidon of the Zora!"

Poor Yunobo seemed to be caught between showing the proper respect to royals, forgiving Sidon, and actually saying hello.

"That's oka-I mean, your Majesty-um...goro...I mean, hello!"

"Breathe, Roly," Sheik urged him, reminding Link of the many times he had to be reminded to do the same thing.

Breathing really did help.

Sidon paused, recognising the nickname.

"Oh, you must be Yunobo!" he said excitedly, taking one of Yunobo's hands (it still dwarfed even Sidon's considerable dukes) in both of his, shaking it enthusiastically. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you! Link and Sheik have told me much about your battle against Vah Rudania, and I cannot thank you enough for aiding them!"

Yunobo didn't get as much of a word in edgewise as Sidon continued to gush about the story of their battle against the Divine Beast, also telling the story of the battle against Vah Ruta, eager to share with a fellow Champion.

Because that, in Link's opinion, is what they were. Champions. Sidon, Yunobo, Teba, Riju. They'd all risked their lives to give Link a chance to tame the Beasts once more, without hesitation.

"No, no, that's not what happened, Roly, and you know it! You didn't just distract the thing, you knocked it the fuck over!" Sheik interjected, throwing himself into the storytelling as well.

Champions, Link thought. Yes.

An idea struck him then, and he looked around the square, searching for...ah, yes, there they were. Making sure Yunobo, Sidon, and Sheik were sufficiently distracted by each other's increasingly exaggerated stories (even Yunobo joining in), Link made his way across the square, towards the tailors.

They were about to get a unique order.