Title: Deus ex Machina
Author: Court ( burningvigor@aol.com ) as Link, Rydia ( chichiri_is_hot@hotmail.com ) as Sheik and about everyone else
Disclaimer: Legend of Zelda is not ours. The characters are not ours. The setting is not ours. We borrowed it to have some fun. We interpreted it in our own way. We make no money off of this so you can't sue us. Neither of us have any money anyway.
Summary: In the year following Ganondorf's defeat, a tentative peace has settled over Hyrule. Now the Goddesses are demanding one more thing from the Hero of Time, but at what cost?
Warning: AU (Sheik and Zelda are different people, and Navi was killed at the end of OoT since no one likes her anyway). Shounen ai/yaoi (YES that means there are GAY PEOPLE OMG NUU :P), Link/Sheik.
Important Note: This entire fanfic has been written in role-play format. That means that there are sections. Court writes one, then Rydia writes one, and so on and so forth. Things are REPEATED. Why? Because when we started, we didn't intend for this to be a fanfic. Now that we're finishing it, we love it to pieces and want to share it with the world. So. All the Link sections were written by Court, and all the Sheik sections were written by Rydia. And Rydia made the chapter titles because she's weird.
--
Chapter 3
In which Din expresses Her General Unhappiness
--
there's nothing I'd like
better than to fall
but I fear
I have nothing to give
I have so much to lose
I have nothing to give
Sarah McLachlan "Fear"
--
Okay, so maybe the cave's inside was a little warmer than being closer to the cold night air. And the wind, oh the wind. That so nicely came right up to where he was sitting and ruffled Link's clothing and still damp hair and made him shiver and hug himself. It was rather nice, though. Just looking at the night sky, the stars. He was so busy that he didn't actually appreciate it most of the time.
Epona was walking about, nibbling at bits of grass here and there as she had been earlier in the day. Seemed she hadn't felt like sleeping yet. He had spent many such nights actually using the horse for warmth, curling up next to her. Wouldn't really work this time, though.
Even worse than the cold was just the boredom. He had to do all he could not to just fall asleep right there. He wouldn't dare, though. Or he was going to try his best not to, anyways. He would have felt like he had failed his duty to Sheik if he just fell asleep on his own watch.
Sheik knew so much more than him, that it was as if Link was scared of him at times. Even though Sheik would never do anything, or probably even care. He just wanted to do things right.
He looked over his shoulder at the sleeping Sheikah, who seemed to be having some sort of dream, the way he was turning about and just whispering words.
He turned back to look out of the cave and into the open field. Didn't seem to be any danger...
--
"You may rise, Sheikah."
Her voice was as regal as Her aura, and Sheik doubted he would have been able to do otherwise as he carefully picked himself up off the ground. He kept his head bowed in respect, not looking at the Goddess.
"I have come to you tonight to deliver a message to this land." He could feel Her burning eyes on him, and he wondered what Her message was, and just who was going to listen to a fallen Sheikah.
He could feel Her essence on him, and knew She could hear his thoughts. He winced slightly as She violated his private thoughts.. though it could hardly be violation, the Goddesses had created him after all....
"That's right, you are Ours to do with as we please." Her voice had chilled slightly, though it still seemed to be on fire somehow. "And if We are angered, We are justified in Our anger."
He did not answer.
"I am angry with this land. So generously have I bestowed My power to you, I with My Sisters, and now you seal away My power as if it meant nothing to you. What good is My gift to you when you refuse to use it?"
Ganondorf. She was talking about Ganondorf and the Triforce of Power locked within him. She wanted them to...?
"That's right. I want you to unseal My gift. I have chosen you to keep it. I will not relent my siege of this place until you get My gift back."
And Sheik woke up.
No longer cold, no longer tired. He stared at the cave's ceiling, breathing heavily and sweating and wondering what the hell they were going to do now.
--
Keen senses had been forced into the Hero of Time, considering all of the training and fighting he had been put through. He had to know what was going on at all times, from the Wallmaster skulking about on the ceiling to the Keese flapping around across the room. And he had to not get himself killed. Keeping fairies in bottles at all times also helped with that, but most of it was thanks to his senses.
Now, if he just knew what the heck emotions were...
Either way, Link had no problem hearing Sheik wake up with a start, and he also was able to see that the harp-player seemed rather distressed. Frowning slightly, he stood up and paced over to the dying fire where the Sheikah was laying.
"You... all right?" he questioned tentatively, then kneeling down nearby him, but making sure he wasn't too close. It must have been a bad dream or something. Hopefully quickly fixed, and then he'd get back to his drudging watch.
However, it was actually a lot more important than just your typical nightmare.
--
Sheik sat up slowly, slowing his breathing and heartbeat as best he could, and wiping a bit of the sweat from his brow. The chill of the air sunk in rather quickly and unkindly, and he shivered. Then Link's voice reached him and he barely kept himself from jumping in surprise. He'd gotten quite used to waking up alone by this point, and he had somehow not even heard Link cross over to his side.
Link's face was dimly lit by the dying flame, casting an eerie glow to his eyes. It was almost surreal, and for a moment, he was almost able to believe it was all just something he'd made up. But then Link moved, ever so slightly, and broke the spell.
"I....we...."
His throat was dry, and his voice sounded strange in his ears. He cleared his throat and tried again, this time choosing his words more carefully.
"Her Lady Din.. came to me in my dream... Link, She wants the Triforce of Power back. She won't stop the siege of Hyrule until we....get it back."
--
Link had never seen Sheik so shaken up. It must have been something really bad for him to be so out of sorts; it almost seemed wrong for Sheik to be anything but calm and composed.
He let out a soft gasp as he explained it. "Din... she... but that means. Ganondorf." Wait. Wait wait wait wait WAIT.
"When you say 'we', do you mean me and you? She's dumping this on us?" He actually sounded more excited than annoyed, which was actually somewhat scary, but... So, that's what was up. She didn't want the Triforce of Power just sealed away.
Could they somehow take it away from Ganondorf without actually unsealing him as well? That would be the ideal situation, but the Triforce usually picked who it wished to serve, and Link got the idea that it wouldn't so easily detach itself from its owner.
But, if the earthquakes and things were going to get worse, Din could possibly prove to be a bigger threat than Ganondorf ever was. She was a Goddess, after all.
--
Link had gotten the idea rather quickly, and Sheik could see the weary bored look that came from standing watch evaporate with his words. The seriousness of the situation hadn't even completely sunk in, not with either of them, it seemed.
Yes. Ganondorf. The Dark Lord. He barely managed to suppress a shudder as to what his return would mean to Hyrule. He felt sick to his stomach, thinking of the seven years where Ganondorf had actually had control.
"No... not we..." His words had been incorrect, he knew Din had said nothing of anyone else. It may have even been a mistake to say something to Link. But...he had been shaken up, and sharing the news seemed like a good idea at the time.
"Not we... She didn't say anything about anyone else." /Just me./ He didn't look at Link.
But what the hell was he supposed to do? Wander into the palace and ask the now-queen Zelda to release Ganondorf? To undo everything so many had died for, everything Link himself had suffered for, the peace everyone in Hyrule now enjoyed?
Well, that was a lie anyway. With the earthquakes, tidal waves, volcano eruptions, and who knew what else, peace wasn't exactly what Hyrule was experiencing right then.
How was /he/ supposed to decide what would be best for Hyrule? Who was /he/ to decide?
He studied the wall intently, even as the fire gave a final flicker and died into a few glowing embers, now their only light. He was suddenly very cold, almost like all the heat had been sucked out of him when the fire died.
--
No, what Sheik was saying Link just couldn't accept. "Well, you're not doing it on your own," he murmured, then going from kneeling to just sitting down. "I was the one that sealed away Ganondorf, and with him, the Triforce. If anyone should have to worry about it, it's me." Then again, he hadn't asked to be the Hero of Time. He hadn't asked to be the one to seal Ganondorf. Everyone had just sort of told him that was what he had to do. But Link didn't mind. Where would he have been now if he hadn't been chosen as the Hero of Time? Not anywhere he would have liked to be, he was sure.
"I'm doing this with you," he said sternly, and it didn't seem like the topic was up for discussion. "I'm not really sure what we can do, though..." He put his hand to his mouth, something he usually did when he was nervous but trying to act like he wasn't. Once again, Link was rather lacking in the entire emotions department.
He let out a soft, "Tch," as he watched the fire die, and felt like cursing Din for not letting him use magic. I mean, they had to get Her stupid Triforce back for Her -- the least She could do was let him use Her magic. He let out a grumbling sigh and closed his eyes. Things did not seem to be going well for the two.
I mean, who was going to listen to them when they wanted to bring back Ganondorf...?
But still. "Do you think... we can somehow take the Triforce and not unseal Ganondorf himself?" he asked Sheik. It seemed Link had already decided he was a part of this, no matter what Sheik thought.
--
Not unseal Ganondorf.. but still take the Triforce? Sheik might have simply dismissed the question to innocence if he hadn't known better. But if there was a way...
..he had no idea.
"I don't even really know if there's a way to take it from him anymore," he admitted quietly. "The reason he had to be sealed was because it was nearly impossible to kill him while he still held the Triforce of Power. You saw that first hand. ...if there was a way to take it from him easily, he would not have it anymore."
It all seemed rather hopeless to the young Sheikah. He knew Din's wrath would only worsen with time, and the natural disasters would be worse and such, but he couldn't help but wonder if even that wouldn't be better than living with the Dark Lord in control again. The brief peace in Hyrule did not deter his memories of the horror and pain of living under such an evil.
"No... there can't be anything worse than living under him.. we can't let him out." It wasn't an answer, he knew, but until something else revealed itself, maybe he could just put this off--
He gasped suddenly as a flash of pain shot through him, clasping one had reflexively against his chest as it dulled slightly, and leaning forward slightly. What the--
//"You /will/ obey Me, Sheikah."//
Din's voice. Well, fuck.
Another flash of pain, this one worse, feeling as though She had literally grabbed him, and he barely suppressed a groan as he doubled forward. "Okay, okay..," he hissed, knowing he was probably looking pretty stupid, talking to nothing, but he didn't care. "I just wanted to figure out a way to do this without getting us all killed..."
//"You are dispensable."//
/I know.../
Still, She released Her grasp, and he collapsed, breathing hard against the cold stone.
--
This was tricky. Didn't there have to be a way to take it from him? I mean, would Din really give them a task that wasn't possible...? Was She that angry, that She didn't consider that they couldn't do it? Then again, Link and Sheik made a formidable team, and Link had done things that people would have never believed possible. What they might be able to accomplish, even Link couldn't imagine at this point.
"You never know, though..." he mused, trying to be at least somewhat optimistic. He was far too excited about this already. Almost sadistic, the kid was. But Sheik said no, they couldn't bring Ganondorf back. Link hadn't really been there to see all of his wrath upon Hyrule, had been asleep for most of that time. He didn't know what they had been put through, but had only viewed the aftermath. He knew he had missed a lot, and thus couldn't judge as well as Sheik could. Maybe he should just listen to him -- I mean, when it really came down to it, this was Sheik's job. It had been given to him by Din, not to Link. Maybe he was just butting in, making it worse than it already was.
Sigh.
He didn't have much time to dwell on it, though, because the next thing he knew Sheik was... in some sort of pain. He couldn't exactly tell what was wrong. "Din?!" God DAMMIT, why was She leaving him out of this? He needed to know what was going on. It was frustrating.
"Sheik!" he yelped, sliding over and trying to help him. He wasn't really sure... what to do, though. He helped him into a sitting position, and then leaned him against the cave wall. "Breathe," he ordered. "Just breathe..."
--
It took Sheik a moment to get his bearings, even as Link helped him back up into a sitting position against the cave's wall. He remained there for a moment, eyes closed lightly and his breathing still ragged, even as the last etches of pain subsided from his chest.
Slowly, with Link's urging, his breathing evened out and his heart rate slowed. Hand still lingering at his chest, he coughed a few times before sighing. "I'm...I'm all right..." His hands were shaking, but he ignored them.
His mind was still racing as their options slowly ran out. He couldn't let Ganon free, not even if he wanted to. But he had to get the Triforce of Power back... the thought that he may be tortured to death wasn't as unappealing to him as someone else suffering the same fate. Though being tortured to death wasn't high on his list of things to do. In fact, it was rather high up on the list of things to avoid.
"I...don't know what to do..."
He felt horrible admitting such a thing, even to someone he felt he could trust. Truthfully, he didn't trust Link very far... but Link was probably the person he trusted most.
He felt, though, a little like he was letting down his people somehow by not knowing where he was supposed to go from here. The Sheikahs willingly lived and died for the royal family of Hyrule, no matter what the cost. If Ganon got out, the first two people he would go after were Zelda, the woman he lived to protect, and Link, the only person he ever trusted. It went against everything the Sheikahs stood for.
But what if Din went after Zelda next? Or Link? What would his death have been for then? Even if he had died believing he had protected his queen, there was always that option that he could be saving her by living. If Din decided she tired of this game....
He closed his eyes again.
--
At least Sheik was all right. Link had been a bit scared of just what Din had done to him. After all, She could kill him if She really wanted. Her powers, though respected and appreciated when done for good, could just as easily turn bad and treacherous if She was angered. And She /was/ angry, that was for sure. But She hadn't done anything too bad... yet. Sheik was all right, and that was what mattered. After all, Sheik was one of the only people he felt somewhat normal around... he didn't want anything happening to him.
It seemed wrong -- for Sheik not to know what to do. He had always been his guide during his quest for the six medallions. To hear that he was just as clueless as Link himself was just... it didn't make sense to Link, he didn't understand it. But Sheik was only human. Not as perfect as Link had initially believed him to be. "Neither do I," he whispered.
Why? Why did She have to pick on Sheik? Put Sheik through this? Why did She ask him? She could have asked anyone else. She could have asked Link. Or... someone. Just... why Sheik? Link wasn't sure why this upset him so much... maybe because he was seeing firsthand what it was doing to the Sheikah, having this task dumped on him. Not to mention She was out to hurt him if he failed.
"... how did Ganondorf plan to take the Triforce from me and Zelda?" That had been his plan, right? That meant there had to be a way to take the Triforce from another, didn't it?
--
Link brought up a very good point with his inquiry. It was a little disheartening to hear the man who defeated Ganondorf ask such questions, but it wasn't as big of a deal when Sheik realized that he didn't know either. He briefly wondered if even Ganondorf had known exactly what he was going to do.
Then it hit him.
"He was going to kill you.. both of you." It seemed so obvious now. "I don't know if that would even work, or if the Triforces would find new holders, but that's what he intended to try."
But...to kill Ganondorf was a lot harder than it seemed. He had been wounded badly and even buried underneath the ruins of his own castle, and yet he had managed to come back with so much power... so much hatred... he was using the Triforce of Power to maintain that. He'd harnessed that power to sustain his life.
To kill Ganondorf would take more than the two of them. They'd need an army, almost. And who in the name of the Triforce was going to listen to them? To him? To Link, the one who saved everyone, sure.. but he was the one hearing voices and seeing Goddesses. He, a fallen of a race that no one was really supposed to know actually existed outside of legend.
It still seemed rather hopeless.
--
Well, that sort of made sense. It seemed like something Ganondorf would come up with, after all. "I don't know, though... wouldn't it just go to the next worthy person to hold that particular Triforce? Or... maybe for some reason, when you kill a holder of the Triforce, you earn the Triforce they possessed?" It was possible. Ganondorf knew quite a bit, more than Link did, anyways, and if there was such a thing, he would be the one to know about it.
"Even if it doesn't work that way, the Triforce has to go to the next most powerful person. If we're lucky, it'll go to someone that /isn't/ hell-bent on destroying the world."
He saw the worry clouding the Sheikah's face. Yes, to try and kill Ganondorf didn't seem like it would be a walk in the park. Especially when he was in his Ganon form. But... the only reason that he had even obtained that form, not died when Link had killed him the first time... "It's because of his hatred for me," he breathed. Yes, that was what made him so powerful, so hard to kill. He hated Link, despised him.
Link grimaced. This was going to be hard to deal with.
--
"I don't know exactly what would happen to it.. the Dark Lord seemed to think he could get yours just by killing you..."
And he may have had access to some sort of information that they did not, some myth or legend that they'd missed along the way that explained that sort of thing. Or perhaps it was just a guess.
"...but it doesn't matter so much, as long as it is in Hyrule, right?"
Unsealing and killing Ganondorf was beginning to seem like the only way out of this. He knew that what he was hearing and seeing was real, and he was certain Link believed him as well, but he wasn't sure what anyone else would think.
Link's quiet admission pierced the air, cutting through his thoughts and jolting him back into reality. He turned toward Link, blinking a little bit at the comment. Was the other trying to take the blame for this?
"Link... this isn't your fault.."
--
"Right. We just have to get it away from /him/." Ganondorf just had to make this all so complicated. It really got on Link's nerves. There always had to be someone that had to cause problems for those that just wanted some peace. But... was that really what Link wanted? I mean, his job had been to fight the danger. With peace, came boredom. He just got lost, didn't have anything to do. So maybe, in a way, as bad as it sounded, this was a good thing... for Link.
He bit on his lip at Sheik's reassurance. "I don't know. I mean... he would have died if he hadn't /hated/ me so much. And... if I'm around, won't he just turn into Ganon again?" It was possible. Maybe he did have to sit this one out, maybe he couldn't afford to be around. But only /he/ could wield the Master Sword. He had to be there. They had to kill him, even if he was in his Ganon form. He wasn't sure, but they had to do it. Somehow.
--
In a fit of uncharacteristic affection, Sheik found himself placing a hand gently on Link's shoulder and leveled his gaze directly at Link, no longer avoiding eye contact. "I'm not saying that you are /not/ the cause of the Dark One's hatred. Because that would be a lie. But.. he hates Lady Zelda at least as much as he hates you. And the sages.
"Regardless of that, you had no way of foreseeing this. I don't blame you, and no one else does either. Only you."
As he sat that way, intently matching Link's blue eyed gaze with his crimson one, hand resting on Link's shoulder.. it felt so foreign and almost invading for him, but he knew that Link probably needed this, needed physical contact. He'd place aside his own insecurities, ignore the rapid beating of his heart..
//...a small boy, his clothes a bit too large, face no older than twelve years at most.. he follows the small group into the chamber which leads to the sleeping Hero. He is surprised to see the Hero is no older than he.. maybe even younger. He smiles to himself, noting the way the sanctuary light falls on his face and lingers behind the group, communing between themselves in hushed whispers..
..a small hand reaches out.. touches the sleeping Hero's face...//
Sheik had to look away quickly, before Link could see the wistfulness he knew was in his eyes.
--
Link had always been scared to have any sort of physical contact with Sheik, but it was because he had always thought he hadn't wanted it. No matter what, Sheik usually kept his distance, and if Link got too close, he sort of flinched away. So he wanted to respect those feelings, and just tried to stay away. Therefore, when Sheik made contact with /him/ it was just... odd. More confused than ever, he just sort of stared blankly at the hand that was placed on his shoulder and tried to stop his stomach from doing flip-flops.
"...but I was the one that caused him to be sealed. If I wasn't there, he could have continued to rule over Hyrule. I was the biggest dent in his plan. He may hate the others, but... he hates me more. I know... I saw it in his... eyes. Heard it in his voice." The memories of that final battle were still vivid. He had been rather close to death on certain occasions, and if it hadn't been for quick thinking, he would have died. He really thought it had all been pure luck, even if others called it his skill.
It was nice... the hand there, if a little strange, just because it was Sheik, and Sheik didn't do things like that. But... it was so reassuring. It let him know that... that at least someone in Hyrule didn't just see him as a tool, someone handy that came along and was good enough to help everyone.
"Thank you, Sheik..." he whispered, not even sure if he could hear. Mostly because he wasn't quite sure what he was thanking him for. I guess for seeing him for who he was, not as the Hero of Time. He didn't want people referring to him as such any more. It just made him feel more bitter. Was that all he was to everyone? How about himself, as a person? Or was that not even worth taking into account?
--
Sheikahs had trained senses that could pick up sounds and sights normal Hylians could not. So when Link whispered his thank you, Sheik heard it. And even though he himself wasn't exactly sure what he was being thanked for, the words were enough to send his senses spiraling out of control.
The words sent his heart about leaping out of his chest, it was beating so hard, and he could feel himself trembling. He tried to remove his hand as casually as possible, but knew it was probably more of a forced thing than he would have liked. He had to look away as he did so, if only for a moment.
"I...I'm going to.. get some air for a moment..."
The words had not lost their calm finish, though it was cracking slightly, and he was grateful for retaining that much of his facade. Quickly, he pulled away, exciting the cave and letting the cold breeze ruffle his blond hair as he tried to slow his heart. It wasn't easy. Leaning against one of the rocks, he slid into a sitting position and rested his forehead on his hands.
"What the hell was I thinking? I can't...do this.." His voice was a choked whisper, and he buried his fingers in his hair.
--
At first Link thought that maybe it was something he had done, said, that made Sheik suddenly stand up and leave, but he figured it was probably just the aftermath of Din's earlier attack, and left it at that. Not to mention that thank you was sort of out of the blue, and maybe it weirded Sheik out a little. Geez, he was a dork. It probably wasn't /normal/ to just say thank you randomly. Of course he was going to get a strange reaction.
He figured it was probably his best bet to just leave Sheik alone, then, and inched closer to the fire that was pretty much dead by now. At least he was finally dry, and the cold wasn't as much of a hindrance. Still, whenever he let out a sigh, his breath was visible, and his cheeks were slightly reddened, it was so cold. There may have been some other reason for it, but Link didn't really know what blushing is. When his cheeks got hot randomly, he was just confused and he would feel too stupid /asking/ someone about something like that.
Missing seven years... your teenage years, no less... did some weird things to you.
His eyes trailed to the cave's mouth with a frown... he hoped Sheik was all right...
--
Sheik had mostly pulled himself back together after a long moment, but how close he had come to losing it in the cave haunted him and he found the outside to be preferable for now. It had been so foolish of him to think he could look into those blue eyes, touch his shoulder.. listen to his voice...
/Stop./
He tried to press the thoughts out of his head. Everything he wanted, all of this.. it was immoral. Wrong. He wasn't allowed to fall in love, and Link probably not even interested. If he was, he certainly was good at hiding it... unlike Sheik.
What was he thinking? Link would probably hate him if he knew how long Sheik had longed even to look at him, to touch him.. things so foreign to the Sheikah people. It was irrational and stupid and ... completely unstoppable. Heaven knew he'd tried to ignore the feeling he got in his stomach every time he saw Link...
...it just didn't work that way. It didn't lessen over time. It should have. He would have given anything to give up this feeling. Even if he had what he desired, it was still /wrong/ for him to have it.
"Stop it.. just please.."
He wasn't trying to speak out loud, and the sound of his own voice startled him a bit, but he settled back into his thinking, palms still against his forehead and fingers strung through his hair.
--
Having finally been given company besides his faithful steed, it felt wrong for Link to be alone all of a sudden. And so when he was pressed towards the dying fire, arms circled about his legs, it seemed wrong -- he had only been with him for a short while and it already felt strange to have him not near, not to be able to see him.
It was so strange.
Maybe Link just latched onto people like that. Still, he needed to learn to get over this quick, because he didn't know if Sheik would always be there. He could be gone right now, have decided he wanted to leave, couldn't deal with Link anymore, and just disappeared. /Don't get too used to it... you never know when he might decide he's tired of you.../ he reminded himself.
Half of him wanted to go out there and see him, but he knew he was being far too clingy -- he was acting like a little kid, couldn't spend a second alone. It was just... now that he finally had company, he was cherishing it. He just sighed gruffly and stared at the cold ground.
--
Link was going to think Sheik upped and ran off if he didn't go back to the cave in a minute. He'd done so a few times already (against his better judgment.. he was only following orders), and it wouldn't be good to make Link worry too much. Besides, it was about time Link got some sleep. He could feel guilty watching for some sort of trouble or something.
Pulling himself together again, he headed back toward the mouth of the cave, ducking in and sitting near the entrance. He found it hard to look at Link now, the question in his eyes (eyes he had wondered for six years as to what color they were), blond hair shining in the pale moonlight (hair that he had trimmed with his own dagger).. Everything was evoking emotion in him tonight, emotion he'd been working his entire life to suppress.
His palms were damp with a cold sweat and he pressed them together in front of himself, and then against his legs. Anything not to look up at his companion. "You get some sleep," he heard himself say absently. "I have second watch, and it's past time I start anyway."
He turned back toward the entrance of the cave without waiting for a reply.. with the voice he had only heard murmuring for six years...
--
Well, Sheik hadn't ditched him. Link was almost surprised, though he was also relieved to see he had decided to stay. He smiled brightly as he walked back in, but Sheik just seemed... off. Like his usual self, actually, void of the affection he had had earlier. Well, Link wasn't even entirely sure what affection was, but he knew that when Sheik had it, it made him feel warm inside, and it also caused his stomach to squirm.
He canted his head to the side at his returned stern personality, but he wasn't going to argue. There was no reason, and... well, sleep didn't sound like such a bad idea. "All right," he said in confirmation, and then stumbled over to the corner of the cave to get some sleep, the fire not being any sort of aide for warmth anymore.
He wanted to say thank you again, but he realized that was probably not a good idea...
--
Sheik watched out the cave's entrance for hours.. thinking, frowning, sighing.. even coming close to tears at one point when he found himself watching Link's sleeping form... but he put that all away inside of himself at the first hints of dawn. He had gotten good at hiding things away deep inside of himself, and keeping them there until they overflowed.. like they had done during the night.
He couldn't bring himself to watch the sun come up, so close to where Death Mountain still raged with eruptions and fire. So instead he watched the western sky lighten, as the cave opened north.
And once it was light out, he swallowed tightly and looked back at the sleeping Hylian.
He'd be all right today. He'd gotten too close yesterday.. it didn't have to happen again. He'd been careless. Now he wouldn't be.
"Link...? It's morning."
--
Link had fallen asleep rather quickly, and his dreams had been dungeon-filled. He had spent so much of his time dungeon-crawling that his subconscious seemed to be filled with them a lot of the time. In one of the dreams he ended up having to fight a humongous Flaming Keese; that had not been fun, mostly because he abhorred the bats with a passion.
He had actually woken up with a start from that one, but he was so tired that he had just dozed off after that. The other he couldn't really remember, but he was pretty sure it had something to do with the Water Temple, and that could only be bad. And he got the inkling feeling that Sheik was also in that one for some reason.
Speaking of Sheik...
"Murr... must get... Fire Arrows... stupid..." He tossed and turned slightly, trying to get away from Sheik's prying voice that was attempting to wake him up. Yeah, Link wasn't so good in the mornings...
--
Sheik glanced at Link's sleeping figure as he rolled away from the Sheikah. He felt a wave of cynical amusement wash over him as the Hylian murmured something about fire arrows and went back to sleep.
The amusement dried up rather quickly, though, when he realized it was going to take more than his voice to wake the other up. Sighing to himself, he crawled over and gently shook Link's shoulder.
"Hey.. come on. Wake up."
It was.. hard to touch him, after the events of the night prior. He felt the wounds were too fresh, the scabs too thin. Well.. if Link didn't wake up from this, he would just let him sleep.
--
Okay, just aim, there we go, perfect! And the arrow was sent flying... right at Sheik. WAIT. That was a Keese a second ago. "No!" Link yelped, running towards the Sheikah in his dream. Then he realized what he had said. Wake up. That had to mean...
"Urgh..." Yep, he had been asleep. He blinked his eyes open, rubbing at them to dispense of the sleeping dust rather childishly, and then slowly sat up, grimacing at the horrible morning taste in his mouth. His eyes widened to see Sheik was right there. "Y-you're still here?" he asked meekly. He had been sure he would have left while he was sleeping. He must have sounded pretty stupid and infantile asking it, too.
Geez. That dream had been scary, the remnants of it still swimming in his head. The thought of him bringing harm to Sheik... or any harm caused to him by anyone else... just scared him. He had never seen Sheik hurt, except for that one time, thanks to Din... and he didn't want to see that again.
Link, on the other hand, hurt himself all the time, whether it was because of a monster or his own clumsiness.
He leaned back just a bit to stretch out his back, though he had forgotten he had been close to the cave wall, thus hitting his head against it. "Oww," he whined. Yeah, when he did stuff like that. He leaned back forward, squeaking in pain as he brought a hand to the injured part of his head and rubbed it vigorously.
--
Sheik had practically jumped back a few feet when Link had shown promise of being awake. He watched almost coyly as Link stretched and yawned, trying not to actually watch him and trying not to look like he was avoiding eye contact either. It was hard to hide things now, much harder now that he didn't have his face scarf. Somehow Link being without his hat didn't really make him feel better.
He nodded slightly as Link seemed surprised he was still there, feeling a twinge of guilt for being so unreliable, and winced in sympathy when Link knocked his head against the wall. Eh..
He glanced over at the entrance to the cave, nodding towards it, letting his intentions be clear. Still, he added uselessly, "We should.. get going. Towards the castle, I suppose.." He still wasn't thrilled with the idea, but he was less looking forward to another meeting with Din.
"We can look for some breakfast on the way," he murmured, still not looking at Link.
--
The castle. How fun. Link remembered when he had to sneak in there seven years ago. The guards still didn't like him much, for whatever reason, though now they bit their tongue. Just because he had saved Hyrule. Okay, maybe that was a good reason, but still. He wished people would just treat him how they wished and forget that he was even the Hero of Time. That was over and done with now. If they didn't like him, they may as well act like it. Then he could know who NOT to save if Hyrule was ever attacked again.
But no, he wasn't that mean. In fact, Link was too nice. And naive. The mention of food made him more willing to go to the castle. Still, he didn't really want to have to see Zelda... or anyone, really... He just couldn't connect with anyone. The only person he really felt somewhat safe around was, well, Sheik.
"Okay," he said, pushing himself to his feet and hearing his bones crack in a few places. A cave floor wasn't the most comfortable bed, after all. He walked out into the bright sun, it still being nice and clear, even though the land was on the brink of being destroyed by the most fearsome Goddess of the three. It was hard to think about that, on such a nice day... he just wished he could forget.
And he could, if he wanted. He hadn't been asked to help at all. But no -- that just went against everything he lived for.
-----
Author's Notes
Court: And here you see the beginnings of Sheik's serious pining over Link. There is a reason that's our pen name for this account, after all. XD Good Lord. And Link is too much of an idiot to notice. Yes, I do insult my characters, thank you very much.
Rydia: Ugh, and so begins the angst fest that is Sheik. >_>; Now that we're done writing the story, I look back at these old sessions and cringe. @_@; Sheik needs a sticker on his forehead that says I HAVE ISSUES.
Addendum: I REALLY LOVE HOW FF.NET JUST MADE ME REUPLOAD ALL MY CHAPTERS BECAUSE IT SUCKS AND IT HATES ME :D I'M SO HAPPY I COULD CRY! Erm.. the section breaks should be a little easier to see now. >_
--
Stay tuned for Chapter 4 : In which Link and Sheik visit Lon Lon Ranch!
Author: Court ( burningvigor@aol.com ) as Link, Rydia ( chichiri_is_hot@hotmail.com ) as Sheik and about everyone else
Disclaimer: Legend of Zelda is not ours. The characters are not ours. The setting is not ours. We borrowed it to have some fun. We interpreted it in our own way. We make no money off of this so you can't sue us. Neither of us have any money anyway.
Summary: In the year following Ganondorf's defeat, a tentative peace has settled over Hyrule. Now the Goddesses are demanding one more thing from the Hero of Time, but at what cost?
Warning: AU (Sheik and Zelda are different people, and Navi was killed at the end of OoT since no one likes her anyway). Shounen ai/yaoi (YES that means there are GAY PEOPLE OMG NUU :P), Link/Sheik.
Important Note: This entire fanfic has been written in role-play format. That means that there are sections. Court writes one, then Rydia writes one, and so on and so forth. Things are REPEATED. Why? Because when we started, we didn't intend for this to be a fanfic. Now that we're finishing it, we love it to pieces and want to share it with the world. So. All the Link sections were written by Court, and all the Sheik sections were written by Rydia. And Rydia made the chapter titles because she's weird.
--
Chapter 3
In which Din expresses Her General Unhappiness
--
there's nothing I'd like
better than to fall
but I fear
I have nothing to give
I have so much to lose
I have nothing to give
Sarah McLachlan "Fear"
--
Okay, so maybe the cave's inside was a little warmer than being closer to the cold night air. And the wind, oh the wind. That so nicely came right up to where he was sitting and ruffled Link's clothing and still damp hair and made him shiver and hug himself. It was rather nice, though. Just looking at the night sky, the stars. He was so busy that he didn't actually appreciate it most of the time.
Epona was walking about, nibbling at bits of grass here and there as she had been earlier in the day. Seemed she hadn't felt like sleeping yet. He had spent many such nights actually using the horse for warmth, curling up next to her. Wouldn't really work this time, though.
Even worse than the cold was just the boredom. He had to do all he could not to just fall asleep right there. He wouldn't dare, though. Or he was going to try his best not to, anyways. He would have felt like he had failed his duty to Sheik if he just fell asleep on his own watch.
Sheik knew so much more than him, that it was as if Link was scared of him at times. Even though Sheik would never do anything, or probably even care. He just wanted to do things right.
He looked over his shoulder at the sleeping Sheikah, who seemed to be having some sort of dream, the way he was turning about and just whispering words.
He turned back to look out of the cave and into the open field. Didn't seem to be any danger...
--
"You may rise, Sheikah."
Her voice was as regal as Her aura, and Sheik doubted he would have been able to do otherwise as he carefully picked himself up off the ground. He kept his head bowed in respect, not looking at the Goddess.
"I have come to you tonight to deliver a message to this land." He could feel Her burning eyes on him, and he wondered what Her message was, and just who was going to listen to a fallen Sheikah.
He could feel Her essence on him, and knew She could hear his thoughts. He winced slightly as She violated his private thoughts.. though it could hardly be violation, the Goddesses had created him after all....
"That's right, you are Ours to do with as we please." Her voice had chilled slightly, though it still seemed to be on fire somehow. "And if We are angered, We are justified in Our anger."
He did not answer.
"I am angry with this land. So generously have I bestowed My power to you, I with My Sisters, and now you seal away My power as if it meant nothing to you. What good is My gift to you when you refuse to use it?"
Ganondorf. She was talking about Ganondorf and the Triforce of Power locked within him. She wanted them to...?
"That's right. I want you to unseal My gift. I have chosen you to keep it. I will not relent my siege of this place until you get My gift back."
And Sheik woke up.
No longer cold, no longer tired. He stared at the cave's ceiling, breathing heavily and sweating and wondering what the hell they were going to do now.
--
Keen senses had been forced into the Hero of Time, considering all of the training and fighting he had been put through. He had to know what was going on at all times, from the Wallmaster skulking about on the ceiling to the Keese flapping around across the room. And he had to not get himself killed. Keeping fairies in bottles at all times also helped with that, but most of it was thanks to his senses.
Now, if he just knew what the heck emotions were...
Either way, Link had no problem hearing Sheik wake up with a start, and he also was able to see that the harp-player seemed rather distressed. Frowning slightly, he stood up and paced over to the dying fire where the Sheikah was laying.
"You... all right?" he questioned tentatively, then kneeling down nearby him, but making sure he wasn't too close. It must have been a bad dream or something. Hopefully quickly fixed, and then he'd get back to his drudging watch.
However, it was actually a lot more important than just your typical nightmare.
--
Sheik sat up slowly, slowing his breathing and heartbeat as best he could, and wiping a bit of the sweat from his brow. The chill of the air sunk in rather quickly and unkindly, and he shivered. Then Link's voice reached him and he barely kept himself from jumping in surprise. He'd gotten quite used to waking up alone by this point, and he had somehow not even heard Link cross over to his side.
Link's face was dimly lit by the dying flame, casting an eerie glow to his eyes. It was almost surreal, and for a moment, he was almost able to believe it was all just something he'd made up. But then Link moved, ever so slightly, and broke the spell.
"I....we...."
His throat was dry, and his voice sounded strange in his ears. He cleared his throat and tried again, this time choosing his words more carefully.
"Her Lady Din.. came to me in my dream... Link, She wants the Triforce of Power back. She won't stop the siege of Hyrule until we....get it back."
--
Link had never seen Sheik so shaken up. It must have been something really bad for him to be so out of sorts; it almost seemed wrong for Sheik to be anything but calm and composed.
He let out a soft gasp as he explained it. "Din... she... but that means. Ganondorf." Wait. Wait wait wait wait WAIT.
"When you say 'we', do you mean me and you? She's dumping this on us?" He actually sounded more excited than annoyed, which was actually somewhat scary, but... So, that's what was up. She didn't want the Triforce of Power just sealed away.
Could they somehow take it away from Ganondorf without actually unsealing him as well? That would be the ideal situation, but the Triforce usually picked who it wished to serve, and Link got the idea that it wouldn't so easily detach itself from its owner.
But, if the earthquakes and things were going to get worse, Din could possibly prove to be a bigger threat than Ganondorf ever was. She was a Goddess, after all.
--
Link had gotten the idea rather quickly, and Sheik could see the weary bored look that came from standing watch evaporate with his words. The seriousness of the situation hadn't even completely sunk in, not with either of them, it seemed.
Yes. Ganondorf. The Dark Lord. He barely managed to suppress a shudder as to what his return would mean to Hyrule. He felt sick to his stomach, thinking of the seven years where Ganondorf had actually had control.
"No... not we..." His words had been incorrect, he knew Din had said nothing of anyone else. It may have even been a mistake to say something to Link. But...he had been shaken up, and sharing the news seemed like a good idea at the time.
"Not we... She didn't say anything about anyone else." /Just me./ He didn't look at Link.
But what the hell was he supposed to do? Wander into the palace and ask the now-queen Zelda to release Ganondorf? To undo everything so many had died for, everything Link himself had suffered for, the peace everyone in Hyrule now enjoyed?
Well, that was a lie anyway. With the earthquakes, tidal waves, volcano eruptions, and who knew what else, peace wasn't exactly what Hyrule was experiencing right then.
How was /he/ supposed to decide what would be best for Hyrule? Who was /he/ to decide?
He studied the wall intently, even as the fire gave a final flicker and died into a few glowing embers, now their only light. He was suddenly very cold, almost like all the heat had been sucked out of him when the fire died.
--
No, what Sheik was saying Link just couldn't accept. "Well, you're not doing it on your own," he murmured, then going from kneeling to just sitting down. "I was the one that sealed away Ganondorf, and with him, the Triforce. If anyone should have to worry about it, it's me." Then again, he hadn't asked to be the Hero of Time. He hadn't asked to be the one to seal Ganondorf. Everyone had just sort of told him that was what he had to do. But Link didn't mind. Where would he have been now if he hadn't been chosen as the Hero of Time? Not anywhere he would have liked to be, he was sure.
"I'm doing this with you," he said sternly, and it didn't seem like the topic was up for discussion. "I'm not really sure what we can do, though..." He put his hand to his mouth, something he usually did when he was nervous but trying to act like he wasn't. Once again, Link was rather lacking in the entire emotions department.
He let out a soft, "Tch," as he watched the fire die, and felt like cursing Din for not letting him use magic. I mean, they had to get Her stupid Triforce back for Her -- the least She could do was let him use Her magic. He let out a grumbling sigh and closed his eyes. Things did not seem to be going well for the two.
I mean, who was going to listen to them when they wanted to bring back Ganondorf...?
But still. "Do you think... we can somehow take the Triforce and not unseal Ganondorf himself?" he asked Sheik. It seemed Link had already decided he was a part of this, no matter what Sheik thought.
--
Not unseal Ganondorf.. but still take the Triforce? Sheik might have simply dismissed the question to innocence if he hadn't known better. But if there was a way...
..he had no idea.
"I don't even really know if there's a way to take it from him anymore," he admitted quietly. "The reason he had to be sealed was because it was nearly impossible to kill him while he still held the Triforce of Power. You saw that first hand. ...if there was a way to take it from him easily, he would not have it anymore."
It all seemed rather hopeless to the young Sheikah. He knew Din's wrath would only worsen with time, and the natural disasters would be worse and such, but he couldn't help but wonder if even that wouldn't be better than living with the Dark Lord in control again. The brief peace in Hyrule did not deter his memories of the horror and pain of living under such an evil.
"No... there can't be anything worse than living under him.. we can't let him out." It wasn't an answer, he knew, but until something else revealed itself, maybe he could just put this off--
He gasped suddenly as a flash of pain shot through him, clasping one had reflexively against his chest as it dulled slightly, and leaning forward slightly. What the--
//"You /will/ obey Me, Sheikah."//
Din's voice. Well, fuck.
Another flash of pain, this one worse, feeling as though She had literally grabbed him, and he barely suppressed a groan as he doubled forward. "Okay, okay..," he hissed, knowing he was probably looking pretty stupid, talking to nothing, but he didn't care. "I just wanted to figure out a way to do this without getting us all killed..."
//"You are dispensable."//
/I know.../
Still, She released Her grasp, and he collapsed, breathing hard against the cold stone.
--
This was tricky. Didn't there have to be a way to take it from him? I mean, would Din really give them a task that wasn't possible...? Was She that angry, that She didn't consider that they couldn't do it? Then again, Link and Sheik made a formidable team, and Link had done things that people would have never believed possible. What they might be able to accomplish, even Link couldn't imagine at this point.
"You never know, though..." he mused, trying to be at least somewhat optimistic. He was far too excited about this already. Almost sadistic, the kid was. But Sheik said no, they couldn't bring Ganondorf back. Link hadn't really been there to see all of his wrath upon Hyrule, had been asleep for most of that time. He didn't know what they had been put through, but had only viewed the aftermath. He knew he had missed a lot, and thus couldn't judge as well as Sheik could. Maybe he should just listen to him -- I mean, when it really came down to it, this was Sheik's job. It had been given to him by Din, not to Link. Maybe he was just butting in, making it worse than it already was.
Sigh.
He didn't have much time to dwell on it, though, because the next thing he knew Sheik was... in some sort of pain. He couldn't exactly tell what was wrong. "Din?!" God DAMMIT, why was She leaving him out of this? He needed to know what was going on. It was frustrating.
"Sheik!" he yelped, sliding over and trying to help him. He wasn't really sure... what to do, though. He helped him into a sitting position, and then leaned him against the cave wall. "Breathe," he ordered. "Just breathe..."
--
It took Sheik a moment to get his bearings, even as Link helped him back up into a sitting position against the cave's wall. He remained there for a moment, eyes closed lightly and his breathing still ragged, even as the last etches of pain subsided from his chest.
Slowly, with Link's urging, his breathing evened out and his heart rate slowed. Hand still lingering at his chest, he coughed a few times before sighing. "I'm...I'm all right..." His hands were shaking, but he ignored them.
His mind was still racing as their options slowly ran out. He couldn't let Ganon free, not even if he wanted to. But he had to get the Triforce of Power back... the thought that he may be tortured to death wasn't as unappealing to him as someone else suffering the same fate. Though being tortured to death wasn't high on his list of things to do. In fact, it was rather high up on the list of things to avoid.
"I...don't know what to do..."
He felt horrible admitting such a thing, even to someone he felt he could trust. Truthfully, he didn't trust Link very far... but Link was probably the person he trusted most.
He felt, though, a little like he was letting down his people somehow by not knowing where he was supposed to go from here. The Sheikahs willingly lived and died for the royal family of Hyrule, no matter what the cost. If Ganon got out, the first two people he would go after were Zelda, the woman he lived to protect, and Link, the only person he ever trusted. It went against everything the Sheikahs stood for.
But what if Din went after Zelda next? Or Link? What would his death have been for then? Even if he had died believing he had protected his queen, there was always that option that he could be saving her by living. If Din decided she tired of this game....
He closed his eyes again.
--
At least Sheik was all right. Link had been a bit scared of just what Din had done to him. After all, She could kill him if She really wanted. Her powers, though respected and appreciated when done for good, could just as easily turn bad and treacherous if She was angered. And She /was/ angry, that was for sure. But She hadn't done anything too bad... yet. Sheik was all right, and that was what mattered. After all, Sheik was one of the only people he felt somewhat normal around... he didn't want anything happening to him.
It seemed wrong -- for Sheik not to know what to do. He had always been his guide during his quest for the six medallions. To hear that he was just as clueless as Link himself was just... it didn't make sense to Link, he didn't understand it. But Sheik was only human. Not as perfect as Link had initially believed him to be. "Neither do I," he whispered.
Why? Why did She have to pick on Sheik? Put Sheik through this? Why did She ask him? She could have asked anyone else. She could have asked Link. Or... someone. Just... why Sheik? Link wasn't sure why this upset him so much... maybe because he was seeing firsthand what it was doing to the Sheikah, having this task dumped on him. Not to mention She was out to hurt him if he failed.
"... how did Ganondorf plan to take the Triforce from me and Zelda?" That had been his plan, right? That meant there had to be a way to take the Triforce from another, didn't it?
--
Link brought up a very good point with his inquiry. It was a little disheartening to hear the man who defeated Ganondorf ask such questions, but it wasn't as big of a deal when Sheik realized that he didn't know either. He briefly wondered if even Ganondorf had known exactly what he was going to do.
Then it hit him.
"He was going to kill you.. both of you." It seemed so obvious now. "I don't know if that would even work, or if the Triforces would find new holders, but that's what he intended to try."
But...to kill Ganondorf was a lot harder than it seemed. He had been wounded badly and even buried underneath the ruins of his own castle, and yet he had managed to come back with so much power... so much hatred... he was using the Triforce of Power to maintain that. He'd harnessed that power to sustain his life.
To kill Ganondorf would take more than the two of them. They'd need an army, almost. And who in the name of the Triforce was going to listen to them? To him? To Link, the one who saved everyone, sure.. but he was the one hearing voices and seeing Goddesses. He, a fallen of a race that no one was really supposed to know actually existed outside of legend.
It still seemed rather hopeless.
--
Well, that sort of made sense. It seemed like something Ganondorf would come up with, after all. "I don't know, though... wouldn't it just go to the next worthy person to hold that particular Triforce? Or... maybe for some reason, when you kill a holder of the Triforce, you earn the Triforce they possessed?" It was possible. Ganondorf knew quite a bit, more than Link did, anyways, and if there was such a thing, he would be the one to know about it.
"Even if it doesn't work that way, the Triforce has to go to the next most powerful person. If we're lucky, it'll go to someone that /isn't/ hell-bent on destroying the world."
He saw the worry clouding the Sheikah's face. Yes, to try and kill Ganondorf didn't seem like it would be a walk in the park. Especially when he was in his Ganon form. But... the only reason that he had even obtained that form, not died when Link had killed him the first time... "It's because of his hatred for me," he breathed. Yes, that was what made him so powerful, so hard to kill. He hated Link, despised him.
Link grimaced. This was going to be hard to deal with.
--
"I don't know exactly what would happen to it.. the Dark Lord seemed to think he could get yours just by killing you..."
And he may have had access to some sort of information that they did not, some myth or legend that they'd missed along the way that explained that sort of thing. Or perhaps it was just a guess.
"...but it doesn't matter so much, as long as it is in Hyrule, right?"
Unsealing and killing Ganondorf was beginning to seem like the only way out of this. He knew that what he was hearing and seeing was real, and he was certain Link believed him as well, but he wasn't sure what anyone else would think.
Link's quiet admission pierced the air, cutting through his thoughts and jolting him back into reality. He turned toward Link, blinking a little bit at the comment. Was the other trying to take the blame for this?
"Link... this isn't your fault.."
--
"Right. We just have to get it away from /him/." Ganondorf just had to make this all so complicated. It really got on Link's nerves. There always had to be someone that had to cause problems for those that just wanted some peace. But... was that really what Link wanted? I mean, his job had been to fight the danger. With peace, came boredom. He just got lost, didn't have anything to do. So maybe, in a way, as bad as it sounded, this was a good thing... for Link.
He bit on his lip at Sheik's reassurance. "I don't know. I mean... he would have died if he hadn't /hated/ me so much. And... if I'm around, won't he just turn into Ganon again?" It was possible. Maybe he did have to sit this one out, maybe he couldn't afford to be around. But only /he/ could wield the Master Sword. He had to be there. They had to kill him, even if he was in his Ganon form. He wasn't sure, but they had to do it. Somehow.
--
In a fit of uncharacteristic affection, Sheik found himself placing a hand gently on Link's shoulder and leveled his gaze directly at Link, no longer avoiding eye contact. "I'm not saying that you are /not/ the cause of the Dark One's hatred. Because that would be a lie. But.. he hates Lady Zelda at least as much as he hates you. And the sages.
"Regardless of that, you had no way of foreseeing this. I don't blame you, and no one else does either. Only you."
As he sat that way, intently matching Link's blue eyed gaze with his crimson one, hand resting on Link's shoulder.. it felt so foreign and almost invading for him, but he knew that Link probably needed this, needed physical contact. He'd place aside his own insecurities, ignore the rapid beating of his heart..
//...a small boy, his clothes a bit too large, face no older than twelve years at most.. he follows the small group into the chamber which leads to the sleeping Hero. He is surprised to see the Hero is no older than he.. maybe even younger. He smiles to himself, noting the way the sanctuary light falls on his face and lingers behind the group, communing between themselves in hushed whispers..
..a small hand reaches out.. touches the sleeping Hero's face...//
Sheik had to look away quickly, before Link could see the wistfulness he knew was in his eyes.
--
Link had always been scared to have any sort of physical contact with Sheik, but it was because he had always thought he hadn't wanted it. No matter what, Sheik usually kept his distance, and if Link got too close, he sort of flinched away. So he wanted to respect those feelings, and just tried to stay away. Therefore, when Sheik made contact with /him/ it was just... odd. More confused than ever, he just sort of stared blankly at the hand that was placed on his shoulder and tried to stop his stomach from doing flip-flops.
"...but I was the one that caused him to be sealed. If I wasn't there, he could have continued to rule over Hyrule. I was the biggest dent in his plan. He may hate the others, but... he hates me more. I know... I saw it in his... eyes. Heard it in his voice." The memories of that final battle were still vivid. He had been rather close to death on certain occasions, and if it hadn't been for quick thinking, he would have died. He really thought it had all been pure luck, even if others called it his skill.
It was nice... the hand there, if a little strange, just because it was Sheik, and Sheik didn't do things like that. But... it was so reassuring. It let him know that... that at least someone in Hyrule didn't just see him as a tool, someone handy that came along and was good enough to help everyone.
"Thank you, Sheik..." he whispered, not even sure if he could hear. Mostly because he wasn't quite sure what he was thanking him for. I guess for seeing him for who he was, not as the Hero of Time. He didn't want people referring to him as such any more. It just made him feel more bitter. Was that all he was to everyone? How about himself, as a person? Or was that not even worth taking into account?
--
Sheikahs had trained senses that could pick up sounds and sights normal Hylians could not. So when Link whispered his thank you, Sheik heard it. And even though he himself wasn't exactly sure what he was being thanked for, the words were enough to send his senses spiraling out of control.
The words sent his heart about leaping out of his chest, it was beating so hard, and he could feel himself trembling. He tried to remove his hand as casually as possible, but knew it was probably more of a forced thing than he would have liked. He had to look away as he did so, if only for a moment.
"I...I'm going to.. get some air for a moment..."
The words had not lost their calm finish, though it was cracking slightly, and he was grateful for retaining that much of his facade. Quickly, he pulled away, exciting the cave and letting the cold breeze ruffle his blond hair as he tried to slow his heart. It wasn't easy. Leaning against one of the rocks, he slid into a sitting position and rested his forehead on his hands.
"What the hell was I thinking? I can't...do this.." His voice was a choked whisper, and he buried his fingers in his hair.
--
At first Link thought that maybe it was something he had done, said, that made Sheik suddenly stand up and leave, but he figured it was probably just the aftermath of Din's earlier attack, and left it at that. Not to mention that thank you was sort of out of the blue, and maybe it weirded Sheik out a little. Geez, he was a dork. It probably wasn't /normal/ to just say thank you randomly. Of course he was going to get a strange reaction.
He figured it was probably his best bet to just leave Sheik alone, then, and inched closer to the fire that was pretty much dead by now. At least he was finally dry, and the cold wasn't as much of a hindrance. Still, whenever he let out a sigh, his breath was visible, and his cheeks were slightly reddened, it was so cold. There may have been some other reason for it, but Link didn't really know what blushing is. When his cheeks got hot randomly, he was just confused and he would feel too stupid /asking/ someone about something like that.
Missing seven years... your teenage years, no less... did some weird things to you.
His eyes trailed to the cave's mouth with a frown... he hoped Sheik was all right...
--
Sheik had mostly pulled himself back together after a long moment, but how close he had come to losing it in the cave haunted him and he found the outside to be preferable for now. It had been so foolish of him to think he could look into those blue eyes, touch his shoulder.. listen to his voice...
/Stop./
He tried to press the thoughts out of his head. Everything he wanted, all of this.. it was immoral. Wrong. He wasn't allowed to fall in love, and Link probably not even interested. If he was, he certainly was good at hiding it... unlike Sheik.
What was he thinking? Link would probably hate him if he knew how long Sheik had longed even to look at him, to touch him.. things so foreign to the Sheikah people. It was irrational and stupid and ... completely unstoppable. Heaven knew he'd tried to ignore the feeling he got in his stomach every time he saw Link...
...it just didn't work that way. It didn't lessen over time. It should have. He would have given anything to give up this feeling. Even if he had what he desired, it was still /wrong/ for him to have it.
"Stop it.. just please.."
He wasn't trying to speak out loud, and the sound of his own voice startled him a bit, but he settled back into his thinking, palms still against his forehead and fingers strung through his hair.
--
Having finally been given company besides his faithful steed, it felt wrong for Link to be alone all of a sudden. And so when he was pressed towards the dying fire, arms circled about his legs, it seemed wrong -- he had only been with him for a short while and it already felt strange to have him not near, not to be able to see him.
It was so strange.
Maybe Link just latched onto people like that. Still, he needed to learn to get over this quick, because he didn't know if Sheik would always be there. He could be gone right now, have decided he wanted to leave, couldn't deal with Link anymore, and just disappeared. /Don't get too used to it... you never know when he might decide he's tired of you.../ he reminded himself.
Half of him wanted to go out there and see him, but he knew he was being far too clingy -- he was acting like a little kid, couldn't spend a second alone. It was just... now that he finally had company, he was cherishing it. He just sighed gruffly and stared at the cold ground.
--
Link was going to think Sheik upped and ran off if he didn't go back to the cave in a minute. He'd done so a few times already (against his better judgment.. he was only following orders), and it wouldn't be good to make Link worry too much. Besides, it was about time Link got some sleep. He could feel guilty watching for some sort of trouble or something.
Pulling himself together again, he headed back toward the mouth of the cave, ducking in and sitting near the entrance. He found it hard to look at Link now, the question in his eyes (eyes he had wondered for six years as to what color they were), blond hair shining in the pale moonlight (hair that he had trimmed with his own dagger).. Everything was evoking emotion in him tonight, emotion he'd been working his entire life to suppress.
His palms were damp with a cold sweat and he pressed them together in front of himself, and then against his legs. Anything not to look up at his companion. "You get some sleep," he heard himself say absently. "I have second watch, and it's past time I start anyway."
He turned back toward the entrance of the cave without waiting for a reply.. with the voice he had only heard murmuring for six years...
--
Well, Sheik hadn't ditched him. Link was almost surprised, though he was also relieved to see he had decided to stay. He smiled brightly as he walked back in, but Sheik just seemed... off. Like his usual self, actually, void of the affection he had had earlier. Well, Link wasn't even entirely sure what affection was, but he knew that when Sheik had it, it made him feel warm inside, and it also caused his stomach to squirm.
He canted his head to the side at his returned stern personality, but he wasn't going to argue. There was no reason, and... well, sleep didn't sound like such a bad idea. "All right," he said in confirmation, and then stumbled over to the corner of the cave to get some sleep, the fire not being any sort of aide for warmth anymore.
He wanted to say thank you again, but he realized that was probably not a good idea...
--
Sheik watched out the cave's entrance for hours.. thinking, frowning, sighing.. even coming close to tears at one point when he found himself watching Link's sleeping form... but he put that all away inside of himself at the first hints of dawn. He had gotten good at hiding things away deep inside of himself, and keeping them there until they overflowed.. like they had done during the night.
He couldn't bring himself to watch the sun come up, so close to where Death Mountain still raged with eruptions and fire. So instead he watched the western sky lighten, as the cave opened north.
And once it was light out, he swallowed tightly and looked back at the sleeping Hylian.
He'd be all right today. He'd gotten too close yesterday.. it didn't have to happen again. He'd been careless. Now he wouldn't be.
"Link...? It's morning."
--
Link had fallen asleep rather quickly, and his dreams had been dungeon-filled. He had spent so much of his time dungeon-crawling that his subconscious seemed to be filled with them a lot of the time. In one of the dreams he ended up having to fight a humongous Flaming Keese; that had not been fun, mostly because he abhorred the bats with a passion.
He had actually woken up with a start from that one, but he was so tired that he had just dozed off after that. The other he couldn't really remember, but he was pretty sure it had something to do with the Water Temple, and that could only be bad. And he got the inkling feeling that Sheik was also in that one for some reason.
Speaking of Sheik...
"Murr... must get... Fire Arrows... stupid..." He tossed and turned slightly, trying to get away from Sheik's prying voice that was attempting to wake him up. Yeah, Link wasn't so good in the mornings...
--
Sheik glanced at Link's sleeping figure as he rolled away from the Sheikah. He felt a wave of cynical amusement wash over him as the Hylian murmured something about fire arrows and went back to sleep.
The amusement dried up rather quickly, though, when he realized it was going to take more than his voice to wake the other up. Sighing to himself, he crawled over and gently shook Link's shoulder.
"Hey.. come on. Wake up."
It was.. hard to touch him, after the events of the night prior. He felt the wounds were too fresh, the scabs too thin. Well.. if Link didn't wake up from this, he would just let him sleep.
--
Okay, just aim, there we go, perfect! And the arrow was sent flying... right at Sheik. WAIT. That was a Keese a second ago. "No!" Link yelped, running towards the Sheikah in his dream. Then he realized what he had said. Wake up. That had to mean...
"Urgh..." Yep, he had been asleep. He blinked his eyes open, rubbing at them to dispense of the sleeping dust rather childishly, and then slowly sat up, grimacing at the horrible morning taste in his mouth. His eyes widened to see Sheik was right there. "Y-you're still here?" he asked meekly. He had been sure he would have left while he was sleeping. He must have sounded pretty stupid and infantile asking it, too.
Geez. That dream had been scary, the remnants of it still swimming in his head. The thought of him bringing harm to Sheik... or any harm caused to him by anyone else... just scared him. He had never seen Sheik hurt, except for that one time, thanks to Din... and he didn't want to see that again.
Link, on the other hand, hurt himself all the time, whether it was because of a monster or his own clumsiness.
He leaned back just a bit to stretch out his back, though he had forgotten he had been close to the cave wall, thus hitting his head against it. "Oww," he whined. Yeah, when he did stuff like that. He leaned back forward, squeaking in pain as he brought a hand to the injured part of his head and rubbed it vigorously.
--
Sheik had practically jumped back a few feet when Link had shown promise of being awake. He watched almost coyly as Link stretched and yawned, trying not to actually watch him and trying not to look like he was avoiding eye contact either. It was hard to hide things now, much harder now that he didn't have his face scarf. Somehow Link being without his hat didn't really make him feel better.
He nodded slightly as Link seemed surprised he was still there, feeling a twinge of guilt for being so unreliable, and winced in sympathy when Link knocked his head against the wall. Eh..
He glanced over at the entrance to the cave, nodding towards it, letting his intentions be clear. Still, he added uselessly, "We should.. get going. Towards the castle, I suppose.." He still wasn't thrilled with the idea, but he was less looking forward to another meeting with Din.
"We can look for some breakfast on the way," he murmured, still not looking at Link.
--
The castle. How fun. Link remembered when he had to sneak in there seven years ago. The guards still didn't like him much, for whatever reason, though now they bit their tongue. Just because he had saved Hyrule. Okay, maybe that was a good reason, but still. He wished people would just treat him how they wished and forget that he was even the Hero of Time. That was over and done with now. If they didn't like him, they may as well act like it. Then he could know who NOT to save if Hyrule was ever attacked again.
But no, he wasn't that mean. In fact, Link was too nice. And naive. The mention of food made him more willing to go to the castle. Still, he didn't really want to have to see Zelda... or anyone, really... He just couldn't connect with anyone. The only person he really felt somewhat safe around was, well, Sheik.
"Okay," he said, pushing himself to his feet and hearing his bones crack in a few places. A cave floor wasn't the most comfortable bed, after all. He walked out into the bright sun, it still being nice and clear, even though the land was on the brink of being destroyed by the most fearsome Goddess of the three. It was hard to think about that, on such a nice day... he just wished he could forget.
And he could, if he wanted. He hadn't been asked to help at all. But no -- that just went against everything he lived for.
-----
Author's Notes
Court: And here you see the beginnings of Sheik's serious pining over Link. There is a reason that's our pen name for this account, after all. XD Good Lord. And Link is too much of an idiot to notice. Yes, I do insult my characters, thank you very much.
Rydia: Ugh, and so begins the angst fest that is Sheik. >_>; Now that we're done writing the story, I look back at these old sessions and cringe. @_@; Sheik needs a sticker on his forehead that says I HAVE ISSUES.
Addendum: I REALLY LOVE HOW FF.NET JUST MADE ME REUPLOAD ALL MY CHAPTERS BECAUSE IT SUCKS AND IT HATES ME :D I'M SO HAPPY I COULD CRY! Erm.. the section breaks should be a little easier to see now. >_
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Stay tuned for Chapter 4 : In which Link and Sheik visit Lon Lon Ranch!