Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Zelda characters or places or plots or anything of that nature.
Author's Note: This story takes place after Ganon's fall but Link remains an adult. A tale of romance, jealousy, and shadows a must read for Sheikah fans and a must read for people who think Link doesn't need to choose Zelda, or Malon, or Saria or….you get the picture.

Shadow Dancer

Chapter 1: Kakariko Village
"I can't stand it anymore!" Link cried out running toward Epona "Can't you girls fall in love with some other guy? I mean there are now five girls after me! (Zelda, Malon, Nabooru, Saria, and don't forget Ruto) Can't at least three of you back off??? Leave me alone! And I'm not thirsty, so stop asking!" And with that Link fled from Zora's Domain. Once in the field, Link mounted Epona and sat there. Where am I going to go? I remember something about going to see Impa about some important assignment but right now I need a place to think away from all these …girls. Lets see, the ranch? No, no, Malon might find me. The castle market town? No, Zelda might send someone to "fetch" me. The valley? Definitely no! Lake Hylia? (Link suddenly remembers…Ruto. Slaps his face) that leaves only one place left to go: Kakariko Village.

Link stepped through the gates of Kakariko Village was shocked. How had the village changed. First of all, that tree that stuck up like a needle in the middle of the town was gone and replaced by a much prettier looking tree similar to the ones found in Hyrule field. Second all the houses have been renovated. They all had the same red roof, white walls with brown boarders. And last, Link didn't recognize anybody! Two women, one blond the other a fiery redhead, walked by, chatting away while carrying various herbs up to the potion shop. Potion Shop! Whew! I though I was in the wrong town! Link began to take hurried steps to the potion shop.
"Can I help you sir?" A female voice asked behind him. Link whirled around to find a young woman. Her hair was the same color as the bark on the trees in the Lost woods and her eyes were red, so red they looked black. Link's mouth dropped open in a small "o" of awe. She wore a long brown skirt and leather boots. A brown vest over lapped her white short-sleeved shirt. She wore no jewelry except for a silver armlet, half hidden by her sleeve. Oh goddesses, she's…
"Well, stranger?" She asked again.
"I...um..."
"Are you here to meet anyone? Buy something?"
"...Um...sorta"
"Sorta?" a grin broke across the girl's face.
"I...(Think fast Link!)...came...to...um...visit the Village leader." Link prayed with all his might that the girl would buy his excuse.
"Why?"
"Um..Impa..."
"Impa sent you?"
"Um...Yeah"
"Good we were expecting you. Right this way please." The girl turned around and began to head for the house on the far hill (Impa's old house).
"Sure" Link replied admiring the view (and I'm not talking geography wise,) Oh goddess, she's fine.
They walked the short distance from the town square up the house and before they went in. The girl turned around and said, "Show your respects, and be careful. Only promise what you can really do, nothing too extravagant though, this isn't the Hylian Royal court."
"Thanks" Link mumbled weakly before being shoved through the doorway. What did I get myself into now?
Inside stood a man not much older than Link. His hair was jet black and his coal colored eyes reflected a tint of fire.
"Did Impa send you?" His voice was cold and direct.
"Yes she did" Link said trying to match the man's confidence.
"Then you know why you are here?"
"Um..."Link began to panic. He glanced nervously around the room. "No" He said in a weak voice.
A mocking smile appeared on the man's face. "Surely you do" he insisted
"No, I'm sorry, I must have forgotten"
The man broke out in laughter "Forgotten? Forgotten? How could you forget an assignment like this?" His laughter died down "Ok, let me refresh your memory. Have a seat" The man gestured to a soft looking lounge chair. "It was two nights ago. The people here had begun to complain about unusual dreams. Dreams about shadows and drums and ghost ships. I believe it has something to do with the Shadow temple, something that has to do with the seal being broken. We needed someone to go inside and check the seal or destroy what ever keeps breaking it; no one here would try with out someone to go with them, someone who has been there before. When I relayed the message along to Impa, she said she knew someone who had braved the Shadow temple and who just might help us. That person is you, Hero of Time"
"Me?!?!?!" No wonder Impa wanted to see me!
"Yes you, and with your help, Fal can go into the Shadow temple and save the seal before we have another fire or something here! Will you help us?"
"Sure but whose Fal?"
" I am" The brown haired girl appeared in the doorway, her red-black eyes staring deep into mine. " I will accompany you into the Shadow temple and secure the seal. As you know only another Sheikah can 'meddle' in another Sheikah's magic"
"You're a Sheikah?"
"Yes, everyone in the village is a Sheikah! Ever since the fall of Gannon, the Hylians who used to live here moved back to the castle, we have been hiding underground and now we own this village. We fixed it up, we run it and we live here." The man spoke with a hint of exasperation in his voice. "Well, the light is fading, you may want to postpone your quest until tomorrow night. Dinner will be served soon, I suggest you two get acquainted before you go the mess hall." And with that the man left.
"Who was that?"
"Adam. He was the village leader ever since Impa moved into Hyrule Castle. So…" Fal fumbled to find the correct words to say but Link saved her the trouble.
"Why you?"
"Huh?"
"Why are you going into the Shadow temple, and not Adam?"
"Adam must stay here to protect the village. The reason I was chosen over all the other Sheikahs here is because Twinrova, the Gerudo sorceress, trained me in Black magic and shadow magic. From them I learned how to use all kinds of magic. I also trained with Saria, Ruto and the Princess Zelda herself in the arts of magic and telepathy."
"How did you get those girls to train you?"
"My mother was a potion-maker. I sold them love potions." Link's eyes widened in surprise. So that explains it.
"Dinner is being served, we should leave"
The mess hall has one house that had three rows of tables and chairs, four stoves and a small well in the corner (It was the house were the lady is always cooking, and were Talon was found sleeping). Several other crimson-eyed men and women were there along with about four children. Link took a seat next to the blond girl he had seen earlier that day and Fal sat next to him. Dinner consisted of fried cucco, mashed potatoes, wheat bread and water.
After dinner was done, Link was taken to the grave keepers hut and shown his room and bed for the night.
"Sweet dreams, Fal" Link said as Fal started towards the village.
"Sweet dreams will never be, until tomorrow. Sleep, Hero of Time"
The next day, Link woke up to the sound of knocking.
"Who is it?" The hero of time asked groggily
"Fal" Link was wide away now, brushing his sandy locks with his hands, smoothing out his tunic, fixing up his cap. When he opened the door to the brunette beauty, he flashed one of his million dollar smiles. Unfortunately all went unnoticed.
"You missed breakfast, so I brought you some." The Sheikah maid had swept in wearing a brown dress with short sleeves. From his view, Link could clearly see the armlet; it was silver with the symbol of the Sheikah on it. Beautiful, just like her
"Thanks" Link sat down at the small table and ate his breakfast of something that looked like oatmeal, smelled like oatmeal, but sure didn't taste like oatmeal. Link was too caught up in the Fal to notice, even when it began to seep down his shirt.
"Would you like to see the village?" Fal asked
"Yes!" said a very eager Link.
Many changes have been made on the village. The old lady's potion shop had been turned into a library. The archery building and the skultulla house have been renovated and used for family housing. The bazaar and the potion shop have been renovated but still served the same use. All family houses have similar insides (Like Impa's house but the "cow cell" is a bathroom) Some house have three bedrooms on the top floor most have two or one. But beside the obvious, Link didn't notice anything. All he did was stare at Fal. He watched her noticing only how her brown hair glowed in the mid-morning sun, how her eyes would light up at the mere mention of magic and how her slender body moved gracefully. Link wanted nothing more that her. Not Zelda, not Malon, not Saria, just Fal. It was after lunch when Link asked for her full name.
"Falcara"
"As in Falcon?"
"Yes. My father always said I had the strength of a falcon going in for the kill but the grace of a Falcon as it soars the skies"
"He was right" Link mumbled under his breath
It was late afternoon when Adam found the two of them. They were behind the windmill, talking. Well, Link was doing most of the talking, relating his tales of the temples and of his final showdown with Gannon. But he left the part about caring for Zelda, Malon or the whole lot.
"Trying to impress my best sorceress, eh, Hero of Time?" Adam said with a twinkle in his eye that was clearly meant for Fal. "You two had better get ready, night is almost upon us." Adam winked at Fal, which arose a smile, then left. Link's face wore an expression of pure hatred towards Adam. He suddenly felt very possessive. Who does this guy think he is? Flirting with my girl. Humph!
"We should get ready" Fal started to get up. But Link grabbed her hand. Why is she so beautiful yet so distant? She's like velvet covered steel. Oh goddess, let her be mine!
"Wait, stay a while." Link pleaded. Refusing to let go of her.
"We really must get ready, the lives of my people are at risk."
"At risk? What do you mean? I though we were going in there to fix up a spell"
"We are, but this spell holds back the demons that once worked for Gannon. If they escape then Hyrule is has one line of defense: Kakariko Village. If we fail, and then the people here must fight, which means death. Death of innocent children and the death of my people. This mission is important, do not think otherwise…Link," She said it with such a cool manner and such seriousness, it chilled Link. Link was glad that she was finally opening up to him, but was upset that she didn't burst into tears like other maidens who wanted to make a statement. Dang! If she had started crying I could have lent her a shoulder to cry on, then I would hold her until the stars come out. Sigh. Link held her hand gently, as if not to damage it, he slowly brought his face near hers but heard footsteps coming this way. Adam appeared again "Fal..."He stopped short noticing that Link was holding one of her hands. Then a frown crossed his face. "Fal, go get ready. Link; please join me by the tree in the center of town." In one swift movement he was gone. Fal rose, dusted off her skirt and looked at me again with those gorgeous eyes.
"Don't forget that" with that she was gone. I, being the love-stuck-fool that I happened to be during the past day, sat there as if in a dream.
"Link" a cold, rough voice, snapped me back into reality. I whirled around and came face-to-face with my biggest competitor: Adam. His glare froze me in my spot. It was nothing like the glare of hate that I always got from Gannon, it was colder, scarier, more threatening. Under those circumstances, I did the only honorable thing: I cast my gaze to the ground. "Yes" I answered, rising but his gaze never left me. "Here" and he trust a brown leather knapsack at me. Embossed in the front was a lone eye with a hanging tear drop, the sign of the sheikah. "Something you'll need before going in the temple". I peeked inside and it was snapped shut by Adam's firm hand. "One more thing" he continued " Fal......" he stopped. "...is mine"