A/N.
Warnings: Sheik is male, his own person, and I completely fuck with his origins in Ocarina of Time. If you don't like that please don't read this!
Hello! This fic is 90% complete, I'm in the final stages and editing the finished chapters. This is a retelling of BOTW with Sheik sent to aid Link. I'm playing fast and loose with Sheikah magic and technology which is incredibly fun. I'm also screwing with their history a bit so you have been warned!
This fic was just for my own amusement, I enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it.
Prologue.
Ancient Sheikah Technology wasn't as easy to understand as they had hoped it would be. It was for this very reason that everything with the guardians went as south as it had. At least, that was how he understood it from Purah. A lack of understanding of the Sheikah and what they could do lead to not being prepared for the possibility of Ganon taking control of the very weapons they were prepared to use against him. They wanted so badly for an ultimate weapon they didn't consider the chance that the weapon was beyond their control.
With each memory that Link failed to get back he just questioned more and more what they were thinking, why they were doing it and why he got involved. It feels as if they were missing something in the story that all the others in history had. Yet he couldn't remember the stories so how was he supposed to know what it was?
He tried to let the thought go, tried to continue on his journey, and Link was doing well. He gathered what he needed, helped people along the way, explored Hyrule and found shrines. He didn't free any of the Divine Beast yet but he was preparing himself for that. It felt like he was getting closer to working his way up to them. Right up until he dropped the Sheikah slate down the mountain pass and it stopped working. They had told him it was waterproof, apparently no one had tested chucking one down a mountain.
Without the slate Link had to make the long walk back to Hateno Village to Purah who, with her vast and we'll gifted talents in this, managed to get the slate back up and running. The problem though was what the screen displayed when they finally managed to turn it on.
"Authentication failed!"
"What does that mean?" There was a bad sinking feeling about that in Link's gut. One that only got worse the more Purah tried to fight with it and didn't succeed. The tablet just kept repeating the same words at her much to her own growing frustration. A feeling he was definitely sharing with her at this point.
"Mm... I assume it's some kind of login system for this. See, a few functions of the Sheikah slate were locked out to us because of credentials. Like we weren't high enough on it's list of valuable users to see everything." He thought that was what the update features were for, apparently he was wrong and that was just Purah messing with the Sheikah slate.
"How'd you guys login to these the first time?"
"Didn't have to." She shook her head and looked up to Link. "The ones we found and used were already logged in. The ones that weren't we just stored away. That's why we had so few of them. And, after the calamity, only this one remained." So it was bad news all around today for him. "Here," the tablet was pressed back into his hands and Link slipped it into the case attached to his belt. "Go to Impa, she might have an idea or be able to try something I can't as the current head of our tribe." It was more of an idea than he had honestly so Link nodded to the instructions and departed Hateno Village for Kakariko.
Unlike where he was before, Kakariko wasn't that far away. It took him less time to get there than it usually did too as he pushed his horse as hard as Blueberry was willing to go. Without the tablet he wasn't going to be able to complete his mission and if he couldn't complete it everyone who was counting on him was doomed. Link couldn't fail, the Princess needed him to free her from her torment.
He left the horse at the entrance to Kakariko Village and made his way through, waving to Pikango and Cado as he passed them to head into the main house. Taking the steps two at a time Link pauses a moment to wave to Paya who ducks and buries her face in her hands, and pushes the door to Impa's house open. Link slipped between the large doors and they clicked shut behind him. As he stepped forward into the room Impa raised her head up, hat jingaling as she did and slipping briefly to one side. She caught it, adjusted it back on and grinned when she spotted him.
"Link, welcome back. How is your adventure going dear?"
"Well, it was going. I found a few more shrines, explored up toward Death Mountain and then-" he reached down to his belt and yanked the Sheikah slate out from it's holder. As he finishes speaking he steps up toward Impa and holds it out toward her. "A Keese knocked this from by hand and I dropped it down the Mountain Pass. It broke. Purah tried to fix it but couldn't."
Impa blinked and tapped the screen a few times. It lit up as it had for Purah, as if it was looking for something and then clicked back off with the same message.
"Authentication failed!"
"She couldn't figure out what it meant or how to get around it. Without the Sheikah slate I won't be able to progress. She hoped you might have an idea. At this point... I'll try anything."
"Hmm…" The slate was passed back to him and Link slid it into the holder at his side once more. Impa stroked her chin a few times, tilted her head and then sat up firmer as her hands fell into her lap. "Nope!"
Link actually deflated, a sigh falling from his lips as he dropped his head forward. Great, not only had he failed Hyrule but he failed in the most humiliating way possible. Not a failure of person or ability but one of pure stupidity. Defeated by technology.
"However," he picks his head up, just enough to glance at her. "Link, do you know the story of the Hero of Time? Course not, you have no memories!" The name didn't even sound familiar to him, at least with some people he got the vague sense he knew them. "The Hero of Time was one of the first people to defeat the Calamity. Ganondorf, as they called him back then, was a person. As the story goes he didn't have a Sheikah slate like you did, just the Master Sword and a guide."
"A guide?"
Impa nodded once. "A Sheikah at that too. As the legend goes the Hero of Time after defeating the Calamity went and became a wanderer, while the Sheikah went to fulfil his duty to the Royal family of Hyrule." There definitely sounded like there were many parts to this story that he was missing. "The Hero of Time is buried beneath a tree in the Lost Woods, have you been there?"
Without his Sheikah slate he couldn't pull up a map and look but given the name it sounded like that place where he kept getting turned around when he tried to enter. He never made it through, he gave up part way. He simply nods as his answer to her, Impa doesn't need to know the details.
"I want you to go back there but don't try to go through. Just tell the forest before you go in what you're looking for and the Korok will guide the way. Seeking advice from our ancestors is perhaps the best we can ask for in this moment. And Link?" He blinks, making sure she knows she has his attention. "If you cannot find the grave of the Hero of Time, perhaps consider praying for Farore in the springs."
There was no way he was finding that spring without a map though, the Lost Woods he could spot if he simply climbed a tree and looked for a mass amount of fog. Still, he gives a nod of his head and then offers Impa a bow. "Thank you for your assistance, Lady Impa."
Link had no memories before he woke up in the Shrine of Resurrection, he couldn't even remember who he was or what it was that he was doing. Not even how old he was or where it was that he had come from. He was just existing. Which meant he had no idea what Impa was sending him for. Other than to look for a grave and pray to some man who was called the Hero of Time. The legend she told him was so few in details that he couldn't begin to imagine what this person would do for him. If a dead man could even do anything.
It wasn't overly helpful information. It was blind praying for a miracle.
On top of that there currently wasn't any place that he could go to read about the Hero of Time either. He assumed things like that would be documented in the castle library and currently the castle was occupied by the Calamity. Any other books outside the castle would either be destroyed from time passed, humans or the monsters that currently roamed the world. He was at a loss with this.
Impa gave him very vague information. A man, who was called the Hero of Time, defeated human Ganon which they now call the Calamity Ganon and was certainly not human, with the aid of a Sheikah. So what was she expecting him to get by heading to a grave? He had a hard time believing that just praying to a tombstone was going to help him get past the security system on the Sheikah Slate.
Link sighed and leaned forward, bumping his head against Blueberry's neck. "Alright, guess we're going. Not like I have any better ideas." The horse bumped it's muzzle against the side of his head and Link smiled a bit before pulling back. He swung himself up onto Blueberry's back and grasped the reigns before taking off.
Finding the Lost Woods was just as easy as he thought it would be. All Link needed to do was climb a cliff and look out over Hyrule before spotting the mass amount of fog in the distance. He had to leave Blueberry at the end of the bridge leading into the forest before making his way toward the fog and trees.
Link stopped beside the torches just beyond the entrance and looked around. Impa told him to not wander blindly, to announce himself and his intentions and allow the Korok to guide him. He'd met the Korok, a lot of them, but he's not entirely sure if he'd trust them to not mess with him.
"Hello?" Link glanced around and took a step forward, stopping when the fog started to gather denser at his feet. "My name is Link, I need to see the Hero of Time? Please, I broke the Sheikah slate." His hands clenched briefly at his side before he forced himself to relax. "I can't beat the Calamity without it. Impa sent me here." He had to do this, he had to win. "She said to trust the Korok. So I am."
The forest seemed to suddenly get quiet around him and though it might be Link's imagination he swore the fog started to clear a bit too. Not enough for him to see though but enough to no longer seem like a threat. And then… he heard it. As subtle as he heard it, it was definitely there. Music. Quiet, and gentle, a sound he's never heard before. He couldn't even say for certain what instrument it was, but it wasn't at all like what Kass played.
Link turned his body sharply in the direction of the sound of the music and the volume seemed to increase. He jerked, turned away, and the sound decreased again for sure. As if it was saying "no not that way".
Trust the Korok.
They were guiding him with music.
A smile spread on his face, Link turned in the direction of the music and took off running. Unlike the many times he'd been in the Lost Woods before there didn't seem to be that threat of getting turned around and lost again. Of being reset and kicked out with the sound of laughter. His heart didn't pound in fear but rather in excitement. The music guided him and he followed with blind faith and hope in the Korok.
It didn't fail him. When the forest finally broke and the music stopped he found himself in a clearing with just a tree and a rock. Link glanced around for anything else before making his way forward and stopping in front of the stone. He knelt down and brushed a gloved hand across the stone but found no writing. He wondered, why, someone who was labeled as a hero would be buried in the Lost Woods and not somewhere such as the Castle. When Impa spoke of the story, what of it she told him, she seemed to speak with pride. That was not the tale of someone who gets buried in remote, unreachable places.
It seemed weird but he had placed his faith in the Korok and they responded. This had to be the Hero of Time, so he takes a seat and rests his hands in his lap.
"My name is Link. I'm going to tell you a wild story but if you are really my Ancestor, please hear me out." He takes a breath, collects his thoughts and then starts at the Shrine of Resurrection. Even the forest seems to listen as he speaks, the silence of a place that usually seems so full of laughter and the sound of bells seeming odd to him. He tries not to let it throw him off and focuses simply on the stone, telling it everything from Zelda's voice and Impa's fears of him not remembering anything to Purah playing a joke on him. He doesn't leave anything out for fear even the slightest detail might be important. By the time he reaches the end of the story he's exhausted and night had definitely fallen by the drop in temperature. Link shuffles more in on himself, attempting to get some warmth, and sits in the silence.
It feels as if it carries on forever, as if the silence is judging his story, and then something moves. Except, it's not really something, but rather a small light with wings. It brings something with it, the subtle sound of music . Not like what guided him here but more playful. Like a tune you would expect children to play. Link listens to the sound as he follows the small light, trying not to move his body too quickly for fear of startling it. The light gets closer and it takes Link a second to recognize the fairies he's seen over the land simply because of the difference in color. The fairies he finds at the Fairy Fountains were always pink but this one was such a light shade of blue it almost looked white. The fairy flashes, vanishes, and as the light clears Link finds himself staring at a body on the ground.
His heart stops and skips several times in his chest before starting again. As he climbs to his feet in shock something catches the corner of his gaze and Link stills once more. He waits a few seconds, watching the stranger on the ground before turning to face the tombstone. Between him and the rock he had been telling his entire life story to was a person and yet not really. Link could see him, could see through him even, yet despite the fact he knew he was looking at a face he couldn't remember what the face looked like the moment he blinked.
And then they spoke. "I was once called the Hero of Time. A savior of Hyrule that served the people only to be forgotten to the wills of time. I sacrificed my childhood twice over to protect them in the Princess's name and though I have my regrets, I have come to terms with how I lived my life." Their voice is hollow and seems to echo inside his head. "I wasn't the only one that made sacrifices." Their head moves toward the body that appeared and Link briefly lets his own gaze wander toward it before returning to the spirit. "Impa told you I had a guide, she wasn't wrong in her tale though how it ended for him is. If Sheik can help you I'm uncertain... but I know him and I know he will try." Their head moves back to look at Link and the spirit takes a step toward him. Link forces himself to remain still though his heart still excellerates in his chest. "Link, Hero of the Wild, take care of my friend. I owe him my life several times over."
And just as quickly as they came he was alone again. No light, no show, just gone and Link couldn't remember a single detail about them. The only evidence he hadn't hallucinated the entire thing was the body, Sheik apparently, laying on the ground right where he had appeared.
He should do something. Start a fire? Would the Korok let him start a fire? They needed warmth though and he needed to make sure that the guy wasn't hurt. Fire it was then. Link avoided the stranger on the ground and moved about the small clearing, gathering whatever sticks and pieces of wood that he could find. Eventually through his searching he managed to gather enough for a small fire and used the flint he had to light it. The warmth was nice and he let himself suck it up for a few minutes. Once he could feel his fingers again he made his way over to Sheik.
The first thing he wanted to do was check for a pulse. Not that he… doubted the spirit but the guy hadn't moved in about an hour and Link considered that a justifiable reason to be concerned. So Link picked Sheik's right arm up and turned his wrist over in his hand. There were so many bandages wrapped around it that he couldn't actually find the guy's pulse. He was tempted to look for the one in his neck but that meant moving the cowl and that felt like an invasion of privacy.
At least taking bandages off probably wasn't an invasion of privacy so that's what he decided to settle with. Link searched the guy's hand for the end of the bandage and couldn't find it. Frowning he started to push the end of the body suit up and see if it perhaps started up there. How did he even get his clothes on? The outfit was familiar and yet not, he'd seen versions of it at the Sheikah store in Kakariko, this one seemed like an outdated version. Just as tight as the ones he's seen, though. Finally feeling like he was getting somewhere he started tugging on the bandage.
That was when he found himself flipped over onto his back, head smacking against the grass covered ground and little rocks. Link gasped and blinked, looking up into the brightest pair of red eyes he's ever seen. He remembered being told that the Sheikah used to have red eyes, that it was an incredibly rare trait for a generation long lost. His were an incredibly intoxicating color though.
Sheik was frowning, Link noticed, watching the crease in his eyebrows and the confusion that seemed to cloud those eyes he couldn't seem to take his gaze from. The Dirk to his throat held no real pressure, like the rest of the Sheikah's body that attempted to hold him down. They looked him over, again and again, only seeming to get more lost in confusion the longer he sat on top of Link. After looking into his eyes for an entire minute he slowly pulled back and the Dirk vanished. Actually vanished somewhere and the hand that held it moved to hold the side of his head.
He seemed to be in pain and Link sat up slowly in an attempt not to startle him. It didn't work considering the way the Sheikah's red gaze snapped over to him and narrowed warrily. Still they swayed and that was enough for Link to forego his sense of self-preservation and grasp Sheik's elbow to steady him. They didn't flinch from his touch and he considered that a good enough sign his life was safe for now.
"My name's Link." This got a reaction, surprise given the way his eyes widened. "You're Sheik, right?" Hesitation, a question in his gaze that Link couldn't read before he got a single nod. "I asked the Hero of Time for help, he said you might be able to assist me. Here, let me help you up."
Link climbed out from beneath the other and stood to his feet, holding a hand out. Sheik watched him a moment before slowly letting go of his head and accepting the help. They got him to his feet and Link was pleased to see he was slowly regaining his sense of balance. He had no idea where they pulled the guy from but he moved like he'd been asleep for as long as Link was. Sheik tested his wrists, rolling them around, spinning weapons through his fingers that he just pulled from somewhere in his body suit. He shifted his shoulders, stretched his legs and then turned to Link.
He finally spoke and his voice sounded as soft as he looked yet as deadly as he was sure the Sheikah was. "My name is Sheik as you seem to know, the last of the Sheikah Warriors. You said the Hero sent me to aid you?"
The grave didn't seem to startle the man as much as Link expected it would. He kept the conversation he had with the Hero to himself and the other didn't ask, just stood at the foot of the grave with an unreadable expression on his face. He handled the death of a friend with a skill that Link could only compare to a soldier. It honestly made him feel bad for the other. He gave him his time, picking flowers and food he found on the ground in the small clearing. When Sheik seemed ready for him to approach Link made his way back over and sat the items he collected at the base of the tombstone.
It wasn't much of an offering but he had little else and somehow he didn't think the Hero would mind the lack of gold he had for an offering. Link still arranged it as nicely as he could and stood back up to face Sheik.
Sheik watched the grave still as he spoke. "Where are we?"
"The Lost Woods, the Korok lead me here with a song. I probably won't be able to find my way out without them."
Sheik shook his head and turned to leave the clearing. "I can show you the way." That only gave him more questions than answered. "We'll discuss the problems you have once we're out of here, you don't want to get lost in the woods, it's best to pay attention." Despite the others back being to him he still nodded his head and quietly followed along. This time there was no music but the forest seemed to welcome the Sheikah as if he was an old friend.
With the time he had he let himself take a better look at the man. He was as tall as Link, perhaps with Link having only an inch on him. He definitely had more muscle that Link did though, if he had genuinely wanted to pin Link down in that clearing before he had no doubt the other would have managed it one handed. The clothes definitely were what he assumed they were, an outdated style of the Sheikah garb sold in Kakariko but now that he was looking at it Link could see how often this outfit was clearly patched up. There were quite a bit of stitchings just along the back and parts of it were already coming undone, he could see it just behind the other's hair.
Which he found interesting. The Sheikah he met had silver hair but Sheik's was blonde. A very light blonde but still not quite silver. It also carried down to his waist.
They were finally out of the forest and Link's horse trotted up to him, head bumping against his shoulder. Sheik watched him before looking away quickly when he realized Link spotted him. Laughing softly he pat the horses neck and moved away to stand beside the other. "There's a stable not that far from here, we can rest there till morning and then talk. I haven't slept in a while." Probably nearly two days, he could use a good rest. He only got a nod in response to his question but it was better than nothing.
Link took the horses reigns and guided them down the path. The stablehand took the horse from him and Link asked for two beds. Or well, he would have, if Sheik didn't shake his head to the stable owner Kish. "Just one, I don't need a bed." Link blinked and turned to question the Sheikah but he was already walking away and back outside.
"That a Sheikah?" Link turned back to Kish and nodded his head. "Don't usually see any of them this far from Kakariko. I've also never seen one with red eyes. Bit creepy if you ask me. Anyway, one bed for ya Link, we'll wake you in the morn'."
He was tempted to go find Sheik, the slightest bit worried the other would be gone in the morning, but he was far to tired and there was this sinking feeling that perhaps the other needed time to himself. Link would if he was Sheik. So he nodded to Kish and headed over to the bed offered to him and sat everything he had on him beside it before crawling into the blankets and passing out.
Morning came quickly and Link was woken by Kish with breakfast made by Shamae, one of the stable employees. He ate down the food as he readied up for the day, briefly asking Kish if he or the employee's had seen Sheik. They had not which would have been alarming if he hadn't noticed earlier Sheik seemed uncomfortable around people. He slipped his sword onto his back and nodded to Kish before making his way out.
Link looked around the small camp before making his way toward the road. They were right, Sheik wasn't out here and that sinking feeling he had from last night was only getting worse. His lips pressed together and he clutched at his belt on his waist. What if he had left him? He wouldn't be the first to look down on Link, think he wasn't good enough for this task. After all, look how badly he had messed up? The Sheikah slate, which he needed to complete his job, was broken and he couldn't save any of the Divine Beasts or get into the shrines without it.
So if he didn't come back, if Link didn't get help, what would happen to everyone? It would be his fault, he would fail again like they said he did the first time.
There was a soft nearly silent thud next to him and Link whipped his head to the side, blinking at Sheik's bright red eyes and pinched expression. He takes a small step forward, right hand seeming to reach toward Link before falling back to his side and their body freezing. "It's morning. We should talk to reach the root of what the Hero asked me to do."
Right to business then, alright, Link could handle that. He could really use a distraction right now. He nods his head once and motions for Sheik to join him over beneath the trees outside the stables. He follows him and together they take a seat while Link starts the tale that he had already once before told to a tombstone. Sheik for his part is silent the entire time, his red eyes focused on Link intently and absorbing every piece of information he's given. He seems to absorb the fact that time had passed a lot for him easily and if he hadn't seen how the other took the death of his friend he would have been more concerned.
By the end of the story, Link breaking the Sheikah slate, Sheik holds his hand out for said device which Link passes over easily. He flips it over a few times, pokes at the screen and then tilts his head when the symbol of the Sheikah tribe appears on the screen. It repeats what it had done with Impa, as if it was scanning her, and then much to his dismay the same message appears.
"Authentication failed!"
"Interesting. Why did it speak in Hylian?" Link frowned and shot the other a confused look. "You said it was Sheikah technology. If the Sheikah invented technology the main language of it should be the language of the Sheikah. But, this thing spoke in Hylian. Which means it was perhaps made by the Sheikah tribe but it was made for the Hyrulian Royal Family. You said this belonged to the Princess?" Link nodded. "That explains why she could use it then. And yet… you couldn't. Unless…" He seemed to come to some sort of understanding that Link couldn't.
He flips the tablet over and lays his hand flat against the back of it. After a few seconds he turns it over one more time to look at the screen. "It's technology but I can feel magic inside of it too. You said this thing is used to access other points right? Could you show me one?"
"We could head to one of the towers, the shrines are harder to find." Link climbed up to his feet and Sheik joined him, passing the tablet back which he slipped into the holder at his waist. "The closest tower is the Woodland Tower, I already activated it and it should be easy to reach, there's not too many enemies that way." Link points in the distance and Sheik turns, looking upward toward the Tower. With a direction to head the other started walking and Link moved to keep up. As he reached the others side and walked with him Link risked a glance over at their face. Still unreadable, still covered.
"So, the Hero of Time said you were his guide."
Sheik glanced over toward him before away again. "I was. My destiny was to teach him the songs he needed to progress in his quest and made sure he didn't get lost on the path. I did both and when I had to I patched him up after a rather dangerous fight."
That answered why the Hero told him that he owed the Sheikah his life. "Don't take this personally but if he's dead how are you-" alive, how was Sheik alive to aid Link on his quest now. Thankfully the question didn't seem to offend the other, if anything he appeared to expect it.
"I was in a place where time does not pass, not until someone is born to take my place." Which only gave him more questions again. "And, with the fall of the Sheikah, it appears that would not have been possible. The Hero must have made a deal with the Goddesses." Link didn't think Sheik was talking to him anymore, he appeared to have lost himself in thought once more.
He decided to give the other some form of hope. "The Sheikah exist still, though from my understanding the bloodline has been-um, muddled down? You're only the second one I've seen with red eyes."
"Hmm."
They'd reached the path to the tower finally and Sheik took the route away from the enemies. He climbed over things easily and with a flexibility to him Link could only ever hope to possess. He made his own way over after Sheik, following the other like a shadow and before long they were at the base of the Tower with a swamp in between them. Without the Sheikah Slate he was at a bit of a disadvantage and as he was about to communicate that to Sheik he realized the other had already vanished. Link twisted around, looking for the man and eventually spotted him balancing himself on top of a plank. He looked to the swamp, the tower and then crouched down like a cat. The Sheikah pushed off, flipped in the air and caught himself on the ladder of the tower.
Link was fairly more than just impressed, and there was no way he could do that either. Sheik looked up to Link and motioned with his head toward where he had just lept from. "Jump, I'll catch you."
He has the up most confidence in Sheik's ability to do that. Himself? Not so much. "Yeah, about that-"
"Trust me."
He wanted to, he really did because Sheik was his last hope for winning. Pressing his lips together he took a deep breath and then moved toward the plank that Sheik had jumped from. He climbed up onto it, fear coating his veins as the plank wobbled dangerously. It took him longer than it had Sheik to get his balance and when he finally managed to he let out a breath he had been holding.
"You can't tense up." Easier said than done but he did make an effort to relax his body. "Find your center of gravity, crouch down and then push off with your legs. I won't let you fall." Despite how unsure he felt, Link still nodded his head to the other's words. He glanced up, made sure he was in line with Sheik, and then crouched down. Like he had been instructed Link pushed himself off from the wood with his legs, the plank falling into the mud. Reaching his hand out toward Sheik he felt his palm slap against the others bandaged covered hand that closed tightly around his own and stopped his descent. His body swayed forward, smacked against the side of the tower, but did not hit the mud.
"Grab on! I can't hold you forever." A quick nod and he got his footing on the side of the tower before grabbing the ladder with his hands. Together they climbed up to the top, dragging themselves over the edge of the ledge. Sheik waited for him to collect his breath before making their way together to the terminal in the middle.
He walked around the odd glowing thing a few times before stopping in front of it and grasping the side of it. "So, you said when you used the tower it gave you a map of the area, right?" Link nodded from where he stood beside the Sheikah. "And some gave you a tool that the Sheikah slate used?" Another nod. "I bet it uses magic to collect data on the area. See, even if the towers used each other to do that it wouldn't just give you data on the one area. If they worked off of one another they'd all have the same information. If you have technology and magic working together however, the magic can gather the data from the surrounding area and transport it back to the tower."
"Can I ask a question?" Sheik turned to glance over at him and Link tilted his head. "You keep saying magic but I've never seen the Sheikah I know use magic."
Sheik's face made that complicated half-expression again, where his eyebrows pinched up in response to something he didn't understand. He didn't ask though, instead turning back to the terminal as he explained. "You said you had amnesia so I imagine a lot of Hyrule's history you haven't learned or been told. The Sheikah are known as the Shadow Tribe or the Shadows of the Hyrule Royal Family. We were their guards, their protectors, and worked in the shadows. Never seen and never heard."
He pushed away from the terminal and turned to Link, holding his hand out. Link retrieved the Sheikah slate and handed it over to Sheik. "We were their greatest weapon and their greatest fear." He turned back to the terminal and slid it into place. "I told you I was the last of the Sheikah Warriors, remember? That was by no means an exaggeration but an actual title." The tablet spun around, locked in place, and connected to the tower.
"The Sheikah specialize in an assortment of magic, the base of which is the shadows we're named for. We can vanish within them, bend them to our will and even control them. It was a skill that required years of practice and education, I only knew one woman to ever be good enough to serve directly beneath the Royal Family without hiding her presence." He did something to the tablet and it projected a screen that filled with characters Link couldn't read. "That woman was my mother and the protector of the Princess."
It was a lot of information to process and Link had a feeling the story wasn't a happy one. "Can I ask what happened to her?"
Sheik's fingers paused on the screen, a moment of hesitation, before he resumed scrolling through whatever he was looking at. "Given how many years passed I assume she's dead." That was a fair answer, he assumed that Sheik didn't know the fate of a lot of people he once knew. "I found something by the way, I think it's some sort of log in system. I wonder if it'll recognize me as a Sheikah." The tablet spoke and this time it most certainly wasn't speaking Hylian.
As if following instructions Sheik moved away to the glowing spot on the tower that Link usually teleported onto when using the tablet. He stood on top of it, waited, and just like when Link teleported he lit up blue and vanished. It didn't last long enough for Link to panic, a moment later Sheik reappeared and stepped up to the tablet that now displayed a visual of the Sheikah.
The tablet spoke and Link looked up to Sheik. "Well?"
"Hold on, let me see if I can-" he tapped the screen a few times and the language changed, repeating what it had said in Hylian.
"Sheikah main family DNA detected, identity unknown. Please confirm identity for the system!"
Sheik tapped something on the screen and spoke. "My name is Sheik, Sheikah Warrior and son of Impa."
"DNA being tested against Tribe Leader Impa's, please hold for results."
They waited as told and the tablet made some sort of loading screen, the Sheikah tribe symbol fading and appearing over and over. Link sighed impatiently and was tempted to start asking Sheik more questions when it spoke.
"DNA confirmed. Welcome Sheik, son of Impa. The Sheikah Slate is now online, distilling rune."
Like all the times before the tower lit up and dropped something onto the tablet that downloaded the information. When it was done the tablet spun out and popped out. Sheik took it and turned it around, tilting his head at the screen. "Well, it seemed to have started you over. The only bit of the map loaded is the area we're standing in." Which meant none of his runes were in there either, but at least he had the Sheikah Slate again. It wouldn't take him long to catch back up. Link slid it into the belt at his waist.
"I should give the good news to Impa, and Purah, do you-want to come with me to Kakariko?" He got the slate back, but he didn't like the idea of leaving Sheik or Sheik leaving him. It was a horrible feeling. He hadn't known the other long but despite the single day Sheik had been back in the world he's had nothing but terrible knews thrust upon him. Adventuring with Link might not be the big turn around the other wanted but at least it had to be better than being alone, right? "You could help me with this Sheikah tech stuff, you seem to be understanding it a lot more than me."
He got a small chuckle at that. It was the first time Link had heard Sheik laugh and he found it was a rather pleasant sound. "It's magic mixed with technology. Once you understand that there's just a small learning curve. That's all in Sheikah of course."
Of course. Why wouldn't it be easy to read?
"I'll come, the Hero of Time sent me to aid you. I doubt my quest is done yet." That-he wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. It made him sound like he was just another task for the other to complete and that he was bound to the will of the Hero of Time. What was their relationship? Was he really just the Hero's guide?
Still he nods because he couldn't find it in him to ask the question. "Well, we should start now, it'll take a day or so to reach Kakariko Village." Link headed over to the ladder and blinked as Sheik ran right past him and just-jumped. Jump right off of the tower as if he was jumping down from a tree. Link snapped his head up and watched as the Sheikah landed on a bridge beneath, jumped down from there, avoiding the enemies, and made his way across the broken wooden platforms to the grass on the other side.
He was going to do that a lot wasn't he? Shaking his head Link carefully climbed down and made his way across to where Sheik was waiting for him.
The first part of the journey was spent in silence. There wasn't much time left in the day after how long Sheik spent working with the slate so they only made it a part of the way to Kakariko before stopping for the night. Link got the fire going as Sheik took it upon himself to hunt. He brought back a good number of fish and knelt down beside the fire to get them set up to roast over it.
Link grabbed his share and Sheik sat down against a tree, one of his Dirk's in his hand along with some kind of rock. It looked like he was sharpening the weapon which despite how many Link used was not something he knew how to do. Maybe his weapons wouldn't break as much as they did. "Your job is to free the Champion's spirits from the Divine Beasts, right?" Link nodded and took a bite of the fish. "I don't know what a Divine Beast is but it doesn't sound too different from what the Hero of Time did."
He swallowed his food and looked up. "What was his job?"
"The Hero of Time had to wake the six sages by freeing different temples under Ganon's control. There were seven sages in total but the last sage was already aware of her task. The sages protected the Sacred Realm which safe guarded the Triforce." Though a lot of that made no sense to him, he nodded anyway. "I couldn't go into the temples with him, I wonder if it will be the same here."
"Wait, why not?" That made no sense, he was his guide right? Why couldn't the guide go into the temples?
Sheik sighed and sat the Dirk down into his lap. "He asked me that once too. But, he had his fate and I had mine. He needed to conquer the temples alone and I had to guide him to them." He didn't seem eager to explain more on that so Link didn't press, but like any time he talked with Sheik he found himself full of more questions than answers.
He's not sure if Sheik slept but Link definitely passed out at some point next to the fire. When he woke up Sheik was in the same place that he had left him, the Dirk now gone along with the stone. Link pushed himself up off of the ground and shook his head, blinking the sleep from his gaze. Sheik took notice of the fact he was awake and stood up, holding a hand out to Link. "Guess we should continue."
Link ate the leftover fish as they walked, now realizing he never saw Sheik eat either, and figured now was a good enough time to keep talking than ever. "So, what's with the cowl?"
"Old Sheikah tradition. It used to be against the rules to show our faces to anyone. We were just supposed to be shadows, remember?"
He did remember that part of the story and he still found it as curious as ever. It reminded him a bit of the Yiga, how they never showed their own faces either. "Who broke the tradition?" Since he said old Link assumed it changed.
"My mother actually, the Great Impa. When she became high enough under the King's court she changed some of the older traditions and this was one. Though she still wore a cowl of her own, it never covered her face." Instinctively he reached his own hand up and gripped the fabric of the cowl tightly, pulling it further up his face as if he could hide inside it. "But when she raised me to aid the Hero of Time she thought it best if I followed the older traditions. Since I needed to be the very definition of a shadow. It was his journey and destiny, not mine. I wasn't supposed to exist."
That-sounded horrifying to Link. Erasing your own existence for the better of Hyrule. Who makes their own child do that? He opened his mouth but found he couldn't say anything to that. What should he say? Sorry you had no childhood? That actually reminded him of something the Hero of Time said. That he sacrificed his childhood twice over and that Sheik sacrificed something too. Was he implying the other's own childhood?
It didn't feel right to ask, so he didn't.
They reached Kakariko the next day, walking through the mountain pass toward the village. Sheik seemed a bit tense at his side but otherwise didn't voice anything. He stopped at the gate to the town and looked up, gaze focused on the arch and the words etched into it. Then he moved again, passing Link and walking into the village. "The Kakariko I knew was in a similar place yet different from this, we must have a tendency for building in canyons."
"I like Kakariko, it's a nice village and Impa is kind." Link smiles and takes Sheik's elbow gently, guiding him toward the correct house with a slow enough pace he could still look around.
"Impa, hm…" Though his tone was cold and void of emotions his eyes seemed to hold a bit more sadness to them. They reached the house and the guards Dorian and Cado looked to Link, smiled and then stopped the moment they glanced at Sheik.
"Cado, Dorian, this is my friend Sheik. We need to see Impa, can you let us through?"
"Sheik? Your friend is named Sheik?" Dorian frowned and didn't move a single bit.
"Dorian, his eyes are red." Cado stated, moving closer to the other. "Pure red."
"Hmm. And where, Master Link, did you pick this fellow up?"
Link laughed a bit and rubbed the back of his neck, not at all comfortable answering that question to the two guards. He looked back at Sheik who was starring impassively behind them at the house as if the two blocking their path didn't exist at all. As if feeling Link's gaze though he looked over to him, let out a long sigh, and then rolled his neck to look at the guards.
It happened so fast. Quick enough he couldn't even say it happened in the blink of an eye. Sheik's hand hit his side, pushed him away from them and the Sheikah Warrior moved. He vanished the moment the two guards made a move for him, the sound of a pop hitting the ground and causing a flash of white light. He appeared behind them, hit Cado on the back causing the man to collapse like a puppet and then ducked when Dorian slashed at him with his spear. He hit the older man's wrist, twisted the weapon from him and knocked him to the ground with a swing of his foot beneath theres. Sprawled across the ground Sheik pointed the tip of the spear to the old man's neck.
"Yiga! He's a Yiga!"
Another crease in Sheik's brows, one of the few expressions Link has managed to read perfectly and when Dorian attempted to get up he pressed the spear harder to the man's neck. "No. I'm Sheik, a Sheikah Warrior. You are just a poor excuse for a Sheikah." That was definitely not helping at all.
Link rushed to his feet and grabbed Sheik's wrist, attempting to pull the spear back from Dorian's neck. "Sheik, stop!"
He didn't move but his arm did lose some of the tension, relenting to Link's tugging. But as Dorian started to get back up, clearly with the intention to take the 'Yiga' out, Sheik moved slightly in front of Link and pressed the weapon against the man's body once more. Much to Link's relief though the doors to Impa's house opened in that moment and the old woman came wandering out.
"What is all this racket? Dorian, Cado, what are you doing?"
"Lady Impa! Link brought this Yiga Clan member into our village! Disguised as one of our own!" Sheik seemed to frown again at that accusation and pressed the spear harder to the man's neck despite Link still tugging on his arm.
Desperate he looked up at Impa who narrowed her gaze not at Link but at Sheik, taking in his uniform before his face. Like the rest of them her gaze found his red eyes and he could see the moment the color registered in her mind. "I see. Boy, I am the Leader of the Sheikah Tribe, Impa. Who are you."
Just like that the spear was removed from Dorian's neck and tossed down beside the man's body though Sheik didn't remove himself from in front of Link. He lifted his head toward Impa, met her gaze head on and with what Link could only assume was pride, answered her. "My name is Sheik, a Sheikah Warrior."
"Not a Yiga, then?" Impa was laughing inside Link could tell but Sheik only seemed to scowl at that. "I assume there's more to you than just that, come inside and tell me away from the nosey and prying ears of my guards."
Dorian helped Cado to his feet and the two of them looked up at Impa startled. "But Lady Impa-"
"Did I stutter? Let the boy through, he is of no threat to me." With no choice but to listen to her they stood to the side and Sheik followed Impa up the steps and into the house with Link behind him. Once inside the room the doors shut behind them and Paya helped Impa back up onto her cushion. Once she was settled Impa motioned to the two cushions Paya provided for them to sit. Sheik kelt with a nimble grace and Link attempted the same but ended up plopping down onto his own.
Impa chuckled and motioned to Paya who sat beside her grandmother. "Sheik, this is my granddaughter Paya, I assume her being here will not trouble you." Sheik regarded Paya with a cold curiously before shaking his head. "Then please, introduce yourself again without the filter."
"My name is Sheik, I did not lie. I was named that by my mother as a reminder of our heritage, since I was the last Sheikah Warrior to come from our clan." Sheik was named then as a shortened version of the word Sheikah to carry the entire history of his tribe with him. He was a legacy. This information didn't seem to surprise Impa but Link could see Paya's jaw drop before she snapped it shut with a look from Impa.
"Continue boy."
"Link told me you sent him to the grave of the Hero of Time to seek his aid. From my understanding of Link's story the Hero of Time answered and his response to Link was me." Sheik glanced over to Link for confirmation and he nodded. A small hum came from Impa and she tilted her head a bit as she regarded Sheik in a different light.
"Then from the story you are the Hero's guide, correct?" A single nod and Paya looked up to her Grandmother.
"But Gr-Grandmother the Hero of Time's s-story ended years a-g-go, recorded down by th-the Princess to have taken pl-place over ten-ten-ten thousand years ago. There's no way… if the bo-books are correct the Sheikah Gu-Guide became the guardian of the Princess and di-died." She gave Sheik an apologetic look before burying her face in her hands. Impa remained quiet and the silence was eventually broken by Sheik's quiet and pondering question.
"Who told you that?"
He was looking at his lap, hands curled into fists on top of his thighs. Impa made an inquiring sound which Sheik translated quite quickly. "That I became the Princess's Shadow, who told you that?"
"Before the castle was taken over I had privy to the books in the library. There, amongst thousands of other Hyrule Legends was a book written down about the Hero of Time's story. A forgotten tale as he was not remembered for the Hero he was. You can tell a tale but not everyone would believe it, of course. The story was told from the Queen's perspective, a third party in the journey. It didn't give much information on the Hero's journey, just a general understanding of what he was supposed to do and that he had a guide." Impa nodded to herself as if remembering the book before speaking again. "The story said the Sheikah guide became the guard to the Queen."
"The book is wrong." It's so blunt and harsh that Link actually looks to Sheik in concern. He shook his head and lifted his gaze from his hands to Impa. "After the battle with Ganon the Hero of Time had to return the Sword of Evil's Bane to its resting place in the Temple of Time. With the Princess of Destiny the two returned time to it's place before Ganon took over. This is why the Hero of Time wasn't remembered by the people that he saved, only a handful of those selected by the Goddesses were allowed to remember the time that did not come to pass."
"The Hero himself, the Princess, and I assume you?" Sheik's gaze met Link's own and he gave a single nod of his head. "Then, what happened to you?"
Sheik turned away from Link and closed his eyes briefly before opening them back up. "I decided to take my mothers place and free her from her destiny. Since I was from the same bloodline I could do it. There was nothing left for me anyway."
He said his entire destiny was to help the Hero of Time, he was raised to do it, suddenly not having that he could see how it would affect him mentally. But that still left Link with a question. "Sheik, what was your mothers task?"
Sheik didn't reply and the longer the silence went on Link was starting to think he wouldn't get a reply at all. Until Impa spoke up. "If the book is right about this part his mother should have been the Great Impa who served as the Princess's guard. The book said after hiding the Princess away it became her task to serve as the Sage to the Shadow Temple. I assume that is what you are talking about?"
Again the other was quiet but considering how willing he was to correct them on things they got wrong, this one had to be true. Which, Impa got the same impression of considering how she nodded satisfied with herself. "I can imagine she wasn't very impressed with that, as the Sage's would remember the timeline that did not come to pass too."
"She said I was a child hanging onto frivolous things. That the Tribe Leader had no right to act in such a way. But, the Princess was always more important to her." Their relationship sounded complicated and Link had no idea where to start in picking that apart. A child trying to save their mother who loved another child who wasn't even their own more. From the way he talked about being raised as the perfect Shadow he wondered if this Great Impa valued the Sheikah Tribe and heritage more than her family. Why else would you name your child in reflection of a legacy?
Link looked back up to Impa when she leaned back and her hat chimed. "A mothers love is a complicated thing, even more so during a time of war. Perhaps though she knew your destiny would come to be this. We cannot predict what goes through the sages minds after all." Sheik didn't look convinced but he didn't argue either. "Sheik, raise your head and look at me."
Posture straightened, Sheik sat up fully and lifted his gaze until his eyes connected with Impa's. "You are one of our ancestors, the greatest of our time and a Sheikah Warrior, probably the last decent one in your opinion." A slow blink but Link got the impression he was amused by the way his posture laxed itself. "If you wish the Sheikah Tribe of the current generation would be lucky to call you one of our own. And I, as the current Tribe Leader, would be lucky to call you my Grandson."
Silence lapsed among them for a long moment, Sheik simply watching Impa as if waiting for her to suddenly claim this was all a joke. She didn't and she gave him time to process and think this through. Then a great sigh fell from his lips and he leaned forward in on himself, giving the smallest nod he had ever seen. "I would be honored, Lady Impa."
"Fantastic!" Impa slapped her knee and grinned brightly. "Welcome to the Tribe, Sheik, Survivor of the Sheikah and Sheikah Warrior."
They stood and moved to the side as Impa called for the guards to join them and reintroduced Sheik as "my long lost Grandson" which only seemed to alarm Cado and Dorian who moments ago had considered killing him. They were tasked with telling the others that Sheik was not a Yiga and was in fact family.
Paya made her way up to Sheik and offered him a bow that the other returned with just as much grace. "My n-name is P-Paya! We'll be family now! If y-you need an-ything let me know!"
"Thank you, Lady Paya."
"L-La-Lady?" There she went, burying her face in her hands and running off. Link watched her go in amusement before turning back to Sheik.
"I made her cry the first time we met. You did better than me." This seemed to amuse Sheik. Impa waved them back over once she was done talking and asked to see the Sheikah slate which Link handed over.
"Well, everything on it's gone, I'm afraid We can't do anything about that. Perhaps we'll find another way to return your memories Link, maybe after Princess Zelda is saved. Where do you intend on going first?"
"Hmm I hadn't really thought that through." He looked down at the Sheikah slate before back up to Impa. "I was hoping I could take Sheik along with me too. He can work this thing easier than me, says it's Sheikah magic mixed with technology."
"That does seem to be the case. The magic of the Sheikah tribe has all but vanished, though I assume you can use it, Sheik? That's what you did out there that alarmed the guards so much?"
He shook his head briefly and reached into his suit, pulling out a small nut. "That was just a Deku Nut. I'm not nearly as good at Sheikah magic as my mother was, but I can wield it easier with my Lyre. Unfortunately, it seems it did not cross over the border with me."
Fighting with music, Link honestly had no idea how that would work but assumed Sheik would make it look as graceful as the rest of him.
"Was there anything special about the Lyre?"
Again, Sheik shook his head. "Impa just gave it to me, it had the Eye of Truth engraved onto it but other than that it held no magical properties. I put a bit of my own magic into it when stringing it but that was about it."
Pleased with this Impa nodded her head. "I'll see if I can find another in the old storage houses, for now you might want to update your clothes. Link can show you where the armory is." Sheik looked down at his clothes, slid his hands down his sides before stilling himself and nodding. He turned to look at Link and with a single nod the two of them left Impa's house.
The clothing store wasn't too far away and Link showed Sheik inside. He didn't even glance at the clothes on the right, instantly drawn over to the Sheikah garb hanging up. Claree beamed over at Link and then widened her eyes when she spotted Sheik looking the clothes over. "Oh Mister! Those would look absolutely stunning on you! Are you the one Dorian said is Impa's Grandson? Please, I'll even give you a discount, have at it!"
"I don't need it, I'll take them all though." He took them down and even grabbed an extra set. Link attempted to calculate numbers in his head and what was in his wallet. He didn't think he had enough.
"Oh well, then that'll be three thousand six hundred rupees!" Link was just about ready to have a heart attack when Sheik reached inside his outfit and pulled out a pouch. He handed her four-thousand and took the clothes, leaving behind a very happy Claree and a baffled Link. "Oh Link, your friend is so handsome! But I have to admit I've never seen an outfit like that before. Even the outfit we made before this one wasn't like that. Where did he come from?"
"Um… I just met him while traveling." It wasn't entirely a lie and thankfully Claree shrugged and accepted his answer. He thanked her for her help and turned away, heading after Sheik to where he saw the other disappear at. Link didn't get far before he was stopped by Claree's sister Lasli.
"Sorry, Link! I showed him to a place he could change at and I can't let you in. That would be indecent." He was sure his face lit up as she winked at him, he could feel the blush spreading much to Lasli's amusement. Huffing, he turned away from her and settled for waiting for Sheik to return.
It didn't take long. Considering he already wore clothes like it Link assumed getting dressed in these was something he mastered. The first time Link tried putting them on he got stuck and gave up, preferring the Hylian Trousers, tunic and hood. The hood was actually his favorite. Sheik brought more life to the outfit than he had ever seen, definitely not in himself. It was similar to what he had before and actually Link was sure he had taken parts of his old uniform and altered the ones he just bought. The clothes now lacked a good majority of the wraps that he had on previously, he still wore the cowl though and Link was sure it was the same one from the other outfit, he could see the stitching in it.
Wrapped around his head was the head wrap from before, hair braided down the back and instead of tied off it seemed to be weighted down by something. The bandages no longer covered the entirety of his hands, just his fingers and up his arms as Sheik wore a pair of fingerless gloves. It was the knee high shoes that definitely drew the most attention though, they looked good on him where on Link they had only managed to reach his thighs and seemed less elegant.
The Dirk's now rested at his hips and Link could see them better. They were engraved with the Sheikah symbol. He wondered, considering this, if they were handmade. He was willing to bet if they weren't made by Sheik himself, they were made by his mother.
"You're staring, does it look ridiculous?" Startled Link snapped his gaze up to Sheik's eyes. With the cowl around his neck instead of up his face and just the thin mask he could actually see that Sheik was frowning perhaps in embarrassment, looking away from Link.
"No." Link found his voice and smiled at Sheik. "You look good, clean even." That got him a glare and Link laughed brightly. "Your hair was covered in leaves and falling out from its braid from laying on the forest floor, it looks nice now. What's with the thing at the end though?"
"It's a weight." He pulled his hair over his shoulder and held it in his hand. "It'll keep my hair from flying in my face when I fight." That made actually a lot of sense and was pretty smart.
Suddenly Link smiled and looked up at Sheik in excitement. "So, that means you're coming with me?"
"I'm a Sheikah Warrior, if Hyrule is in trouble I am bound by oath to assist. So yes, I'll come with you."
They ate dinner, slept at the Inn and when morning broke they gathered outside Impa's house. Link had taken a bath and washed his clothes, much to his own relief, scrubbing the smell of horse and monsters off of him. Sheik looked even more clean and put together than he did before so Link assumed he had shared the same plan.
"Did you decide where you wanted to go?"
He hadn't actually, Link had just been letting himself wander and stumble across anything. "I was thinking we could go wherever the wind guides us."
Sheik didn't seem amused. "What are our choices?"
This he could actually answer. "There are four divine beasts. One with the Zora, one with the Goron, one with the Gerudo and finally one with the Rito."
"I only know three of those species, what is a Rito?"
"The Rito didn't exist when you were alive, young Sheik." Their heads turned and looked down at Impa. Paya stood beside her, watchful, and tucked against Impa's chest seemed to be a golden instrument. It was as pretty as it was elegant, a golden shine to it that showed it clearly wasn't paint. Engraved at the bottom was the Sheikah symbol that had whisp's that almost looked like clouds branching out from it. He assumed it was supposed to reflect shadows. "The Rito are a bird tribe, they love music. I'm sure you'll get along with them. Here, I found this in storage." She held the instrument out to Sheik who took it with a gentle grasp. "And those clothes look perfect on you. You're a true Sheikah Warrior."
Sheik twisted the instrument around and got a good look at it, fingers gentle tracing and plucking at the strings. It made a sound and Sheik smiled. "Thank you, Lady Impa."
"Of course, can't have you going off without your strongest weapon. Sheik, Link, good luck on your journey. May the Goddesses watch over you."