AN: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been so busy with school and exams I had no time. Most of the ideas I got came from being bored in class, but since I got a week off after exams before the new semester started, I couldn't think of anything, and I kinda forgot about it. But no worries, I'm going to work extra hard to make up for the lost time.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. And a special thanks goes out to Link101 (an anonymous reviewer), your stupidity truly amazes me. You read to chapter three (I'm assuming since that is the chapter you reviewed on), even thought there are very big hints and a warning about what this story is about at the beginning of the first chapter. So if you didn't like what it was about, why'd you wait until you finished chapter three to stop reading? Honestly, thanks. Your review, even though it was only one sentence long, which consisted of five words, made me laugh for a good ten minutes. Your review made my day.

Anyway, on with the story:

After the slight struggle to get the injured boy back on the horse, they were off to Lon Lon Ranch. Link decided that it was better to go at a slower and easier pace this time; he wanted to prevent the Sheikah from any further pain, now that the boy was fully conscience. He could still feel Sheik flinch and become tense against his chest every now and then, but the sun had already set, and he gave his word to deliver the boy to his destination.

As they got closer to the ranch, Link noticed it was a lot bigger than he had originally thought. All he could see so far was a giant fence surrounding what looked like a house and a stable behind it. He eased Epona up the small entrance through the large gates.A sign above him toldhim he was in the right place.

Epona continued walking at her steady pace until they were in between the house and the barn. By now, the only light was coming from a light on in the upper floor of the house, and Link could barely see anything.

He dismounted Epona and was about to take Sheik down as well, when he heard footsteps, and a light was shone on him. Link turned around a shielded his eyes; a girl had stepped out of the stable carrying a lantern and was coming towards them. He noticed it was the girl he saw before, only this time she was dirty from working in the stable.

"Isn't it a bit late to be out riding, Sir?" She questioned looking at him funny.

"Not when you're carrying an injured boy." Link responded calmly and pulled Sheik carefully off Epona and into his arms. "I was told to bring him here."

The girl looked at the bloodied boy in the arms of the tall blond. Wait a minute, she thought, that looks like, no, it couldn't be. "Sheik!" She cried. "Oh my gosh, what happened to you? Are you all right? Who did this? I swear to god whoever it was is going to pay!"

"Malon," Sheik sighed, "calm down, I'm fine. Now, Link can you please put me down?"

Link? Why does that name sound so familiar? Malon thought, watching them as Sheik was placed on the ground, and pushed the thought from her mind. I have more important things to worry about. Sheik flashed her a weak smile and took a shaky step forward, only to be overwhelmed with pain, and collapsed backwards.

Link's reaction was quick and once again he had the slightly smaller blond boy in his arms; Sheik was getting more and more annoyed. "I thought I just told you to put me down, and stop touching me," he protested.

Malon sighed at his stubbornness. "Sheik, you're in no condition to be walking right now. Give yourself some time to heal."

"I already said that I'm fine. Put me down."

"I will, as soon as I find a bed where you can heal properly." Sheik noticeably cringed at the word 'bed' and began to struggle even more. He clawed at Link's face, giving his more cuts and scrapes. "Hey!" He shifted all of Sheik's weight into one arm and used the other to hit a pressure point. It knocked the struggling boy out and he fell limp in Link's arms.

"What did you do to him?" Malon screamed, panicking. She wanted to back up and run in the house, but she would not leave Sheik like that in the arms of a stranger.

"There's nothing to worry about, he's fine. I just knocked him out; he'll wake up in fifteen or twenty minutes. Now please show me where you intend him to rest. Unless, of course, you think you are capable of carrying him there by yourself?"

Malon stood there shocked for a second, and was hesitant, but decided she could trust him. "This way." She started walking back towards the stable. "There's a secret room upstairs, he should be safe there." They walked in silence through the stable; the only sounds were the noises coming from their footsteps, and the horses and cows shifting in their sleep.

Malon led Link into a room that was full of only hay.Shewalked over to the right corner and pulled a loose piece of wood off and pushed the button that it revealed. There was a soft 'click' noise and ladder fell down, from an opening that wasn't there before, in the ceiling.

Link shifted Sheik onto his shoulder and climbed up easily after Malon. The room was small, but comfortable. There was a bed in the far left corner with a bed stand next to it and an extra lantern on top, and there was a chair under a small window the overlooked the left side of the horse ring below and a bit of the house.

He carefully placed Sheik on the bed, and stared at him or a second. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure was is it?" Malon said as she turned her gaze to Link; she just finished lighting the lantern.I don't like that how he's looking at Sheik. I've seen that look before. She suppressed a shudder.

"Why is his life so important?"

"What?" She stared at him shocked. "Everyone's life is important."

He turned to look at her. "I mean, when I first saw him, I was in Sunset Inn. Sheik came in and collapsed, the owner told me to bring him to you. He also said 'The consequences will be great if he dies' and 'the fate of Hyrule rests on Sheik's life'."

She gave a small nervous laugh, "Oh, don't worry about that. Gray is a little crazy. He says weird stuff like that a lot."

Link only raised an eyebrow at her; he didn't believe a word of it.

"Oh alright." She sighed. "I'll tell you. When Sheik was little, about eight or nine, his fatherleft him and his mother, and a year later his mother was remarried to Ganon. Everything was fine until Ganon started getting attracted to Sheik. Soon after that, his mother became mysteriously sick, and then she passed away. I think Ganon poisoned her, but that's just me.

"Anyway Ganon sexually abused Sheik for a while and then started a whorehouse when Sheik was fourteen. Sheik is Ganon's number one 'whore'. The rest of the people there are only side attractions compared to him. Ganon makes over five thousand rupees a week from Sheik alone. That's why all the people of Hyrule would suffer if anything happened to him. Even the Princess Zelda can do nothing to stop it.

"Please Link, would you take care of him? I have all the horses, cow, and chickens to take care of; I would have no time for him. Of course I can pay you and your lovely horse will be well taken care of. What do you say?"

Before Link had a chance to think about it, a voice cut him off. "I can take care of myself thank you very much." Link and Malon both turned to see Sheik sitting up in the bed, glaring at them.

"Oh, Sheik how long have you been awake? I didn't notice you."

Sheik's glare fell on Malon. "Long enough."

"Sorry." She whispered quietly.

"Well, I'll be going now," Link said and headed for the ladder.

"Wait, Link, please help him." Malon grabbed Link's arm to prevent him from leaving.

"I don't need anyone's help. Especially his. I'm not a baby; I can take care of myself."

"Sheik, how are you to tend to your wounds when you can't even walk?"

"I'll find a way."

"God, you're so stubborn! What are you afraid of?"

"Nothing."

"Then it's settled. I'll be back in a few minutes with some extra blankets for you Link, and some bandages and medicine for Sheik. And I'll put your horse in one of our stalls and feed her. Is there anything special she likes?"

"Um, hay is fine."

"Ok, well later." After she was gone Link settled himself into the chair, and looked out the window. He could feel Sheik watching him, and finally turned to look at him. Just as Link has suspected, Sheik was glaring evilly at him.

"You know," he said lazily from the chair. "If you keep glaring, your pretty face will stay like that." Oops. I didn't mean to say 'pretty'. Oh well, it's too late now.

This caught Sheik off guard and his glare momentarily turned into a look of confusion. "Why didn't you say no?" he asked.

"Why are you so stubborn?"

"I'm not stubborn."

"Then what are you?" Link had to hide a smile; he liked messing with Sheik. It was a lot of fun.

"I-" Sheik didn't know how to answer that. What am I? he repeated the question in his head and lowered his gaze to his hands. What am I? "I don't know." He finally said after a while of thinking.

"Don't think to hard about it." Link said looking out the window again. "You might hurt yourself." Once again he could feel Sheik's glare on him. Instead of doing anything about it, Link simply took out his ocarina and started playing various tunes.

Malon came through the hole on the floor carrying the items she said she would return with, along with rags, a bowl, a jug of water, some cloths for Sheik, and food. She set all the items neatly on the bed stand and looked at the boys. "Is there anything I'm missing?"

"No, I don't believe there is anything else we will need."

"Ok," she smiled, "if there is don't hesitate to ask. She walked back to the ladder and was about to leave.

"Oh, Malon."

"Yes Link?"

"My horse is a bit stubborn, you might have trouble getting her into a stall."

"Don't worry about it. Epona's already in." Link looked at her shocked. "You know" Malon continued, "it took me a little bit to figure it out, but only Epona would respond to that song."

"But- … How? … I don't understand." Link's face twisted in a look of confusion.

AN: On the next chapter of Maybe It Was Fate: Will Sheik let Link clean and bandage his cuts or will he drive Link away? Will Ganon find out about Sheik's current state of health? And find out the reason Malon was able to tame the stubborn horse that is Epona. All this and more in chapter five of Maybe It Was Fate!