Author's Note:
Rio: Well this took a bit longer to write than my normal chapters.

Ryu: Probubly because you were also working on setting up the plot.

Rio: You just keep on thinking that Ryu.

Ryu: ^.^ Enjoy!

Rio: Oh, and the spacing is really weird on my computer...I'll have to get around to fixing that...maybe it dosen't even show but if it does I am sorry for the inconvienience. It will be fixed by next update!



The Reign of Something Different

Chapter Two: Opening the Gate



Eight years had passed, seven spent in preparing, and one spent in battle, at least that was how Sheik viewed it. Link had decided not to relive his childhood, having figured out that if he went back in time, he would be alone. Sheik had secretly agreed with Link. Having watched Link and helped him, even if now Link thought he didn't exist, Sheik had been intrigued by Link's willpower. The boy had seen death, often caused it, and watched those he knew and cared for oppressed and destroyed.

In one way, Sheik felt guilty that he had tricked Link into believing that he, Sheik, was Zelda. At first, Sheik had tried to act as Zelda would, minus the girlish part, but he'd soon abandoned the idea. Sheik had seen the flash of betrayal that had crossed Link's face when he had switched places with Zelda. Of course, Sheik had tapped into his powers to see what Link was feeling, and he had found joy and loss. Link felt that the one whom he could finally relate to and open up to had been destroyed. Surprisingly, Sheik had needed to stop himself from appearing then, just to tell Link the truth.

"I shouldn't be thinking about this," Sheik murmured. He had a body again. He had his power back. The goddesses didn't know he existed. All he should worry about now is getting back into his realm. Sheik sighed, opening his eyes. He was inside a simple room, his room. All he had allowed Zelda to put in the room was a bed, nothing else. There wasn't even a window to let in light. But Sheik was content to wait there in the dark until Zelda found what he had sent her to look for.



No, Sheik could not just fade into the background, now that Gannandorf was destroyed. Where could he possibly go that the goddess' wrath would not hunt his now-mortal self down? Certainly not with the Grudos or the Gorons, for they were Din's people, and Din was a known busy-body (not that he would tell her that face to face) If he stayed with those people she would know in a matter of minutes. No,not even minutes, seconds. The Kokeri and the Deku were Farore's. Farore was the curious one, even though she would not meddle with the lives of her beings she would watch, so she would know as quickly as Din would. Even with the Hyrulians, his time was limited, for they, along with the Zoras, were Nayru's people. Though Nayru was the wisest of the three, and preferred to stay out of her creation's personal lives, she would still find out eventually. Yes, if he stayed in this realm, sooner or later he would be found and inevitably destroyed.

That was why he had to leave this realm and why he'd sent Zelda to look for his temple, the Temple of Chaos. Supposedly, there were five temples in Hyrule. These served as gateways to different places. In order, the five temples were Power, Wisdom, Cunning, Chaos, and Time. The Temple of Time was one of the five and was a gateway to a younger Hyrule (i.e. The realm of Hyrule). Power, Wisdom, and Cunning were gateways tot the realms of the three goddesses, and Chaos was the gateway to his own realm. Inside his realm was the former home of the Fierce Deity, and no god or goddess could be defeated in their own home of their own realm. If he could make his way to the Citadel, what the tower that was his home was called, not even the goddesses could touch him. But it was a one-shot deal. Once he used the power of the Fierce Deity to activate the gateway, he would be powerless until he returned to his rightful place as the God ruler in the Citadel. After he passed through the gateway he would be as powerful as a normal Sheikah until reuniting with his godly powers. But after he passed through the gateway once, it would never open again, not for the Fierce Deity or anyone else.

Sheik sighed again. "Come in, Princess."

Zelda opened the door looking cross. "You could at least wait for me to knock!" But she knew this fell on deaf ears.

"What is the matter now?" Sheik asked. He had ordered Zelda not to come to him unless there was a problem.

"No problem," Zelda smiled. "We found the ruins of a temple."

"Where?" Sheik asked, alert. If it was -

"In the desert. Near the Spirit temple, actually."

But Sheik was already gone from the room. Zelda sighed. He could have said good-bye at least, but what could be expected from a God?

Impa met Zelda as she walked out of the tower. "You told him?" Impa asked.

Zelda nodded. "Then you should also tell Link," Impa continued. "It's only fair. You're a sage, princess. You can feel the emotions of the Hero of Time."

"I know, but I don't want to hurt him again. It was hard enough the first time."

Impa looked at Zelda shrewdly. "You are just being selfish, Zelda. Think of it this way: if Link hurries, at least he may have the chance to say good-bye."

Zelda gasped. She hadn't thought of it that way. And Link had helped to find the temple, so he knew where it was. "Where is he now?" she asked excitedly.

"In the courtyard, waiting for you."

Zelda shook her head. Impa knew her too well.



Link was waiting impatiently. Not that he had anything else to do, really. He simply wanted this meeting to be over. Seeing Zelda was just too hard now. He couldn't help but see Sheik whenever he looked at her. He had tried to forget the Sheikah, but tried was the important word. He just couldn't forget the teen who had helped him on more than one occasion. Just couldn't forget his voice, nor his eyes, nor... oh he was rambling again. Quite an annoying habit, rambling was.

"Link!"

Well, here we go again, Link thought. "Hello, Zelda." Link managed a smile, but Zelda grabbed his arm and started to drag him to where Epona was waiting.

"Link, you have to go to that temple we found right away!"

"Why?" Link hadn't seen Zelda this excited in a long time.

"Because you have to say good-bye to Sheik!"

Wait. Hold up! Had Zelda just said what Link thought Zelda had said? "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, right." Zelda looked bashful. In her excitement, she had forgotten to tell Link about Sheik's identity.

"Sheik and I aren't the same person. We - - "

But Link was already mounted and gone. Zelda sighed again, annoyed. What was it with males and not listening to her today?

Link barely registered the pounding of the horse underneath him. Sheik was real! Sheik was real! Sure, both Zelda and Sheik had lied to him, but Sheik was real! And Sheik was at the temple they had found...wait a minute. Temple ruins next to the Spirit Temple...i.e. the Requiem of the Spirit.

It was moments like this when Link felt really stupid.

Halting Epona, Link dismounted, pulling out his ocarina as he did so. It wasn't the Ocarina of Time; no, Zelda had that. Rather, it was the fairy ocarina Saria had given him. Still, it worked, as Link felt the pull of the warp and his visions blurred to be replaced with the view of the Spirit Temple. Now the temple ruins were just a bit south of here...


Sheik viewed the temple with a touch of sadness. What had once been a grand temple was now a tottering stack of ruins. Still the outside didn't really count; it was the inside that mattered. Sheik walked to the middle of the ruins and found a slab of weather-worn rock that had at one time served as an altar, to him. Sheik walked to the back of the altar and brushed away all of the sand that had accumulated over the years. He smiled when the he found the indentation.

Of course, Sheik knew everything about his temple. After all, he had created it from scratch, and this little mechanism was his pride and joy. Sheik placed his palm over the indentation and pushed. Gears long rusted groaned as they were now used, and the altar itself caved in to reveal a ladder leading down into darkness. Sheik grinned thinking that at least it all still worked.

Sheik descended into the gloom, watching in satisfaction as torches lit themselves. He had spent a long time on that spell, so he was glad to see that it still worked, as well. The ladder brought him into a cave-like tunnel, lined with torches, that led to the main room of his temple.

Although weather and sand had eroded the exterior, the interior of the temple remained as if it had been created the day before. Sheik saw the familiar language of the Sheikah that covered the back wall. It told of his story, his power, and his spells, preserved in stone for future generations (if there were any, which Sheik doubted). He saw the guardian statues in the back corners of the room, Sheikah both male and female dressed in full battle armor. He saw the murals on the left and right walls that pictured the creation of Hyrule. All were untouched by either time or elements, all in perfect condition.

At the center of the temple stood the real altar, an onyx altar with the shards of what had been his triforce piece embedded deep within the stone. Sheik walked up to the altar. Placing his palms on the two indentations on the surface of the stone, he called upon the powers of the Fierce Deity and pushed. With a crack the altar shattered, revealing a platform much like the ones Link used with his ocarina, only this platform was black, all black. It was the gate to the realm of the Fierce Deity. Sheik winced as he felt the power start to drain out of him. Just a bit longer... then he would be home.


"Sheik!"

Sheik turned, surprised to see Link running down the hallway. The Hero of Time stopped once inside the large room. Had the circumstances been different, Sheik would have found the look of awe on Link's face gratifying as the Hero viewed his temple, but as things were now, Link had to get out of here before the warp activated. Sheik grimaced. Since he was using the power of the Fierce Deity right now he voice would sound a bit strange, he just hoped Link would listen.

"Link, get out of here!"

Link backed up as he heard two voices merged in one: the voice he knew as Sheik's and another, deeper, one. Link tried to listen to Sheik, he really did. But it was too late, and the chamber filled with a black light. A familiar whizzing sound filled the chamber. Both warriors were claimed by unconciseness as the gate opened and swallowed both God and Hero into its darkness.





Author's Note:

Ryu: Short but sweet. We will be working up the chapters to be the normal 9 to 11 pages but now its just chapter two and Rio decided to end it there.

Rio: Sure put all the blame on me.

Ryu: You Are the author...

Rio: And so you say you have no control over what I write?

Ryu: *nods*

Rio: Than why am I even listening to you?

Ryu: *sighes* It must be one of those days when Rio is mad at everything... oh well. We don't know when the next update will be but it will be soon. Review if you have something you want to say. (duh)