Alright, first I'd like to apologize for not updating in forever... I guess I got sorta discouraged after only two people reviewed the last chapter (not including Shane, cuz she only review because I was whining about it). A reason now that I find totally stupid. Two is pretty good, considering there are stories out there that don't even get one review per chapter. Anyway, after a long break, I want to start working on the Sheikan Chronicles project again, and I hope ya'll will come back to support me again.

Its actually really good. I mean, twenty reviews for a story that has five chapters? Not bad at all, so, I just want to thank everyone that took the time to read this story.

Thank you so much everyone!

In other news, anyone remember back in my first story when Link started out as a rancher, overalls and all? Heh, funnily enough, Nintendo is doing the exact same thing to start out the new LoZ game, clothes and all. If you don't know about it, check out the latest news on

BladeMaster16: Heh, thanks, I appreciate it, Shane. I'm so glad you like my series!

Draz: Thanks much Glad someone finds it interesting, lol. As for Ganondorf... Well, I ain't one for spoilers, heh.

Rising Dragon: Yes, cliffhanger... Ain't it great? Never fear, you'll find out who it is soon enough 3

Anyway, on to the chapter!

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Chapter Six: Discoveries

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Gerudo Valley.

A rocky path through the desert mountains. It lead to a towering canyon which separated Hyrule territory from Gerudo territory. Bones with arrows still in the skulls were all that was left of the men that had tried to traverse the valley and gotten a little too close Gerudo territory.

Teious, from his position behind a large rock just off the path, could make out a few half-rotten corpses laying in awkward positions all over the path among the skeletons. They had various things in them… Knives, arrows, even axes… one particular corpse had dried brain all over his face that had oozed out from a large wound on the forehead.

Having growing up in a war-ridden world, Teious had grown-up seeing such things but he never quite got used to it like Miroku seemed to.

He shuddered and turned away, looking back over at the canyon. The bridge that had once allowed passage between the sides of the canyon was long gone. The Gerudo must've taken care of that as soon as they all returned.

They could still get in and out of the valley if they needed though. There were other ways of passing back into Hyrule territory. Much harder ways, that is. Ways that involved trekking through seemingly endless desert and monster infested mountains. Fortunately for Miroku and Teious, they had passed large gaps before, so this wouldn't be much of a problem.

The real problem would be getting past those Gerudo patrolling the other end of the canyon. Before it was nothing but a path leading through the mountains to the famed Gerudo Fortress, but now the path was blocked off by a large stone wall with a tower on either side that had two Gerudo in each. There was no gate or any way of getting behind the wall; what did they need to get out for anyway? Their race wasn't going to die out anytime soon seeing as they lived in the desert forever. Their only concern was keeping people out. And, by the looks of it, that wall was pretty sturdy.

Teious slumped back into his position behind the rock and looked at the others. Isuke was panting hard and his body was turning a strange brownish color. The desert heat was getting to his aquatic body. The dark night allowed Miroku to see, so he was surveying the area, planning out the next move like he always did.

"This is just great…" Teious grumbled.

"It was your idea, remember?" Miroku replied. There was no 'I told you so' or anything in his voice – he was just stating a fact.

Teious shook his head. "Ah, darn, what's gotten into me? This should be a great challenge, eh? Must be getting tired…"

"Hey," Miroku whispered, looking over at Isuke. "You gonna be okay?"

"Urhhh…S-sure…"

Miroku looked from him to the canyon, then back again. "This is no time to play the tough guy, Master Isuke. You can dive down to canyon and swim to Lake Hylia, from there you can take the underwater path all the way to Zora Domain."

"W-what….? Arrgh… And leave you two alone?"

"We're big boys, we can handle ourselves." With that, Miroku gave Isuke a good shove and sent him tumbling down the side of the mountain, out and down the canyon.

"Oooh, man, he's gonna be so ticked off at you when we see him again," Teious warned.

"Oh well, I saved his life," Miroku answered, peeking over at the guards in the towers. They weren't even looking towards Miroku and Teious' side of the mountain, so their presence was still undetected.

"Now what?" Teious asked. "Human Arrow?"

Miroku grinned faintly and nodded. "Human Arrow."

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Impa set down a cup of green tea in front of Sheik, who sat at one end of the tree stump that was being used as a table. She had already shed that big baggy cloak of hers and was dressed in clothes that one might find a Hylian peasant woman wearing.

They were in a clearing a little ways away from the Deku Tree's clearing, the canopy of trees letting very little moonlight in, but it was enough for the two Sheikah.

"Are you going to tell me where you've been all these years or not?" Sheik asked bluntly.

Impa sat down cross-legged and slowly took a sip of her own tea. "…Aren't you going to drink?"

Sheik just stared at her with that emotionless look of his. A sheikah didn't eat or drink in the open – one could get distracted by doing so, and Sheik still held strong to his Sheikan training.

"I disappeared for eleven years…" Impa said thoughtfully, setting her cup down. "And where was I? I've been right here, Sheik."

She paused, but Sheik just waited for her to go on.

"The Deku Tree is now dead. With his last bit of strength he created children of the forest… The once destroyed race of Kokiri. The Kokiri are very important, and, as long as there are Kokiri, a new Deku Tree will be able to sprout. I'm not sure how it works, but that's what the Great Deku Tree told me.

"When the Sheikah attacked I left in search of a way to vanquish Majora, knowing that his plan was to resurrect Ganondorf. It seems I was too late. So, I came here, to seek the Deku Tree's wisdom. And here I've been for over ten years, looking after the children and researching."

Sheik's stare didn't change at all. "Researching what?"

Impa gazed up at the sky through a break in the trees, almost thoughtfully. "The Deku Tree held an abundance of knowledge, so when I sat alone and meditated on it, even in death, his lingering memories and thoughts came to me."

"Did you find out anything of importance?" Sheik asked.

Impa nodded slowly up and down. "I wonder, did you ever think about why Majora would want to free Ganondorf from the Sacred Realm?"

"Information like that is inessential," Sheik said, standing up. "If you have no information for me that will help defeat Ganondorf, I'll take my leave."

A grin found its way to Impa's face and she let out short laugh. "Typical Sheikah, heh."

Sheik glanced back through the woods, then back at Impa. "I am curious as to one thing though."

"Oh? What would that be?"

"How did you get her to break away from the Sheikah?"

"Ah, that," Impa nodded, folding her arms. "I merely lifted the curse from her."

"The curse?" Sheik cocked his head to one side, having no idea what she was talking about.

"You still don't know? My, my, Sheik, I thought you would've figured it out by now."

"Just tell me," Sheik half-growled.

"You remember the story, yes? Of how us Sheikah came to be."

Sheik nodded, remembering back to when Teriss came to his cell.

"Did it ever strike you as odd that Majora would help out the Royal family by giving them the perfect assassin, and then just disappear from the face of the earth…? When Majora gave the first Sheikah his powers of shadow, he slipped a little something else in there with it."

Sheik understood now, but let Impa continue.

"The curse. It was a little something that Majora put there so that he could control us Sheikah whenever he wanted to. You see, when he gave this the first of us these powers it became hereditary, so that they would passed down among his children, and then his children's children and so on. But the curse spread the exact same way. All Majora was doing was biding his time until…"

"Until there was enough of us for an uprising," Sheik finished.

"Exactly."

"Why wasn't I effected by this curse then? Or you for that matter."

"You know how I was raised by human parents, Sheik. I'm not sure, but something about my upbringing must've negated the effect of the curse. And you, well, you were my pupil before you became a Sheikan warrior. I pretty much raised you myself, so, the same thing must have happened to you."

Sheik shook his head, looking down. "It still doesn't make much sense, really. If you raised the curse from that girl, couldn't you do it to the rest?"

Impa shook her head solemnly. "I wish I could. The whole process takes time though, and I doubt the Sheikah are gonna sit around while I lift the curse. I kidnapped Teriss while she was making her rounds…it was about, oh, three years ago when I first found out a way to lift the curse. I chained her down and told her the story about how we came to be to get her mood to soften, while I worked on the curse."

"I see," Sheik said quietly, processing the information through his head over and over. "Well, if that's all the info you have for me, I'll be leaving now."

With that, he turned and started to walk off.

"Sheik!" Impa called.

Sheik stopped, but didn't turn around.

"Where is the heir?"

"…He's safe."

Sheik continued on and slowly faded away until the forest shadows completely consumed him.

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Miroku peeked around the rock again, taking another look at the Gerudo in the towers. He slipped back into a sitting position behind the rock and looked up at the sky, then the ground, like he was studying it.

"Tch… They're done chatting and are looking this way again. We can't get past now."

Teious held up his middle and index fingers together, and they started glowing slightly. "Want me to hit 'em with some light magic?"

"I was hoping to avoid any killing but I looks like our only option," Miroku answered. "Get ready."

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Ganondorf rode his black steed through the rocky trail and an incredible speed. Gerudo Valley was just up ahead… Once he got through there… he would find some answers.

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GASP! What is Ganondorf going to look for? Will Miroku and Teious be discovered? Is Isuke alright? What's Sheik's next move? Find out, next time on 'CHILDREN OF DESTINY'!

…..cough Anyway… Thanks for reading, please tell me what you thought, and, if its not too much of a bother, check out Book Three, 'The Lost' and gimme some insight on it…PLEASE? ;