Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Zelda Franchise... I wish I did.

Chapter 23 - Coming Home

'It's fine… You are an adult, a highly trained and skilled adult…' A sonorous long breath flew past Sheik's lips. Closing his eyes, he raised one hand and pressed his fingers against the soft texture of the hanging cloth. 'Stop this silliness, just get on with it.'

Taking another long breath, the young blond spy reigned in his growing tension. Shaking his head and opening his red eyes wide open, Sheik pulled the purple fabric aside and stepped inside the tent.

"Well, good morning to you, young mister." Zelda's singing voice echoed through the room, and a pair of bright red eyes rolled back in defeat. "You know, when I kindly made a bit of space for you and Link, I certainly didn't expect you to disappear for the entire night." She giggled, slowly raising her cup of tea to her lips. The tinkle of a tease appeared in her blue eyes.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Sheik made his way to his sister, sitting on a chair next to hers. "Zel… it wasn't like that." He replied with the wave of a hand, but then the flash of blush appeared on his cheeks. "N-Not for the entire evening…"

"Is that so…" A playful giggle bounced from her lips. "Please, details."

"Unfortunately for you, I don't kiss and tell."

"Classy… But I'll still bother you enough until you tell me." Leaning closer to him, the royal Princess nudged the Sheikah with her elbow.

Gracefully ignoring Zelda's teasing, Sheik reached for the small table in front of them and poured a half cup of tea for himself. "Sadly, I am well aware of this. But before you torment me relentlessly, I want to talk about what happened for most of the night."

Sheik's serious tone managed to pull Zelda into her royal posture, the picture-perfect of pure stoicism. "Something happened with Link?"

The red-eyed blond nodded solemnly. "Yes… ever since I met him, Link is always under duress. Last night, when we… Link just screamed harshly. He doubled against his knees; his face twisted with pain."

Zelda's expression curled into a scared frown. "Is he okay? Where is he now?"

"He's resting," Sheik replied plainly. "I left him in doctor Rose's clinic. But he groaned and moaned in pain for hours last night. I held him, I tried to soothe his discomfort. yet nothing seemed to help. Link kept complaining about spots on his chest, phantom pains. Like someone had stabbed him all over his body."

Zelda pulled back, resting her back against her chair, one hand moving to the mouth. "You reckon he was under a spell?"

"I don't know… perhaps not. We never encountered any warlock or wizards inside the Water Temple or on our way here." Sheik leaned against the wooden arm of his chair, slowly peeling down his face mask, showing his face to the Princess. "Unless… unless that other Link used a spell on him in their battle."

At the mention of the red-eyed Link, the princess's expression grew colder and harder. "Is he capable of that?" She mused aloud, shifting a thoughtful glance to the side. "I thought that shadow could only emulate Link's powers."

When the two surrogated siblings few into a small silent reprise, a faint gust of air rushed inside the tent, followed by the feather-soft sounds of steps. "I'm afraid that your supposition is incorrect, Princess."

"Impa!" Zelda stood up, clapping her hands together as her guardian Sheikah walked in.

Cursing quietly to himself, Sheik noticed how careless he has become. A few weeks earlier and he wouldn't have failed to feel his master's presence approaching the Princess' quarters, but it seems his sharp senses have dulled quite a bit.

Noticing her nephew's surprise at her arrival, Impa gave him a small frown before turning her sights back to her liege. Then, she promptly bowed before the Princess. "I found this shadow at the edge of Lon Lon Ranch, hiding within the tree lines."

Zelda shifted in her position, her lips twitching with the question that her blue eyes conveyed.

Faced with those questioning eyes, Impa's head swung even lower in a rare look of shame. "Forgive me, my lady. I failed to complete my mission."

Instantly the blond woman clenched heavily at the side of her dress. Her eyes glanced all over Impa's figure, searching for wounds or signs of battle. When she found none, her frown deepened, but now carrying a hint of confusion. "Impa, it's not common for you to fail an assignment. What happened in there? Is he that much of a threat?"

The tall silver-haired woman glanced up, looking directly onto Zelda's blue eyes. "I found the target heavily wounded. He was fleeing on horseback from the Ranch and promptly fell on his back as soon as he was concealed within the small forest." Impa's gaze then moved to Sheik, who stiffened a little under her red eyes. "His chest was laced with gashed and wounds, his body shivering in pain. This sounds oddly similar to the Hero's condition last night, correct?"

Sheik replied with a short nod. "There was no blood or cuts on his body, but it fits the pain he described to me."

"This shadow is Linked to him then?" Zelda asked worriedly. "If it is wounded, then our Link could be at a risk too?"

Glancing down, Sheik let a frown appear on his features. "It can't be that simple. As I told you before, they fought inside the Water Temple. Link was very hurt, but the other him didn't show any signs of feeling it."

"Then what?!" Zelda cried out loudly. "Impa, you… you could know something else about this… Link, right?" The Princess tried to dance around the proper words she wanted to say, minding Sheik's presence.

Impa looked at her Princess and charge, wearing a slightly pained face, the tall silver-haired woman shook her head. "Princess… I'm afraid that only Rauru or the Goddesses may have the answer to that."

"But I can't reach Rauru anymore. I tried many times, seeking any bit of wisdom from him, but my words fell on deafening silence." She sighed, slowly moving back to take a sit on her padded chair.

"Maybe… yes, maybe you could reach for another Sage," Impa added, making Zelda glance at her again. "Li—The shadow spoke about other Sages. By his account, he met at least two other ones. If we consider the time of his appearance."

"Sage of Forest and Sage of Fire…" Zelda breathed out in acknowledgment.

"An over-reaching line of thought, but one worth investigating." Impa said with finality, folding her arms against her chest as he leaned back against the soft wall.

"You are right, Impa. As always, you are right." A warm smile crossed Zelda's lips. "Your council has always steered me into the right direction… I can't imagine what I would do without you."

A soft sound came from the side, an innocent-looking Sheik that just cleared his throat is now looking at his sister with big red eyes.

Giggles sung from the Princess' lips, learning closer to the younger Sheikah, she grabbed one of his hands and gave a soft squeeze. "You as well, little brother."

Returning her giggles with a smile of his own, he pressed softly with his grip. Their small exchange gets back the warmth and serenity that surrounds the pair of surrogated siblings in the short moments they share.

But as tranquility slowly began to settle in the tent, a booming roar exploded from outside. The sheer intensity of the voices was enough to make the ground quake even if slightly. This sudden outburst startled both Zelda and Sheik out of the comfort of their chairs.

"What in Din's light is happening out there?!" Zelda squeaked in shock; her blue eyes as wide as they can get. With a quick exchange of glances with Sheik, the princess promptly changed her stance, rushing towards the entrance with the other blond on her trail.

"Sheik, stay." Impa's voice echoed firmly.

A troubled sigh escaped the young Sheikah. Raising his eyes to meet his master's gaze, he tried to plea with a nod, a voiceless exchange asking for postponing this to another time. But Impa's face didn't change a single inch.

Zelda, who also heard Impa's words, stopped for a moment. She even considered interfering on Sheik's behalf, but the look she got from Impa showed that this was between the two of them, as a family and as Sheikahs. And so, biting her lips in frustration, the young Princess left her living quarters, trying to find the reason for such commotion.

"Master, is this really the most opportune time?" Sheik raised his concern before Impa could do anything, one last resort to try and dodge his way out of this.

"Enough." Impa simply declared, unfolding her arms. Calmly walking to the center of the living room, she dragged one of the armchairs and placed it in front of the other. "Sit." She commanded with a neutral voice, but with enough edge to push Sheik to quickly obey her.

Feeling a certain tingle of dread, Sheik just watched as Impa took a sit right in front of him and leaned forward in her chair. An involuntary gulp slid down his throat. "Something I should know?" He asked quietly, quickly noticing the small glint that appeared in her eyes.

"That is an amusing sentence to hear since I would ask you the same thing." Impa said back, pushing Sheik even further in his pool of anxiety.

"Master… I don't…"

"Spare me, Sheik. Don't try to play coy with me. I trained and raised you, young man. I know you better than anyone in this world, as much as the Princess may think otherwise."

This is it. Sheik had nightmares of this moment ever since he has chosen to divert from his design path. And as much as he has come to terms with the consequences of his choices, facing his only live relative still feels terrifying for him.

"Boy, what are you thinking?" Impa started with a harsh and condemning voice. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Why?" Sheik finally raised his voice in an equal tone.

"Why? And you still have the gull to ask that." Getting a furious frown, Impa clashed both hands together in front of her, the clapping sound echoing everywhere inside the tent. "From everyone I expected to attempt to divert HIS path, you were the last one to ever cross my mind."

"I fail to see your point." Sheik said back, folding his arms against his chest.

"Fine, you want to dance around the subject? Let us name to each droplet of water, shall we?" Letting go of the angry scowl, Impa just leaned back against her chair and stared at her nephew. "Your relationship with Link, is not only a grave and unnecessary risk added on his journey but is also another burden placed on his shoulders. Your lack of professionalism in your given task. A task which, let me remind you, is to guide and watch the Hero of Time's journey, NOT to insert yourself in it."

"Me 'inserting' myself on his journey saved his life, twice!" Sheik retorted back loudly. "What? Should I just stay hidden in the shadows, watch him suffer and bleed for us? Stay away while he faces all this evil on his own?"

"That is his destiny." Impa said simply.

"His destiny would be death if I didn't stop him from throwing himself with reckless abandon against every monster in front of him." This time Sheik all but jumped out from his chair, his red eyes widening with his exasperation.

The stoic head of the Sheikah clan relented on this topic, letting out a tired sigh as she rubbed her eyes. "Even then, this doesn't justify your deeper involvement with him. And don't play stupid with me, nephew. You may be able to hide it from the common folk, but I can see the way you look at him and how he responds in kind…" Now a low growl flew from her lips. "Even that blasted shadow of him declared his love for you… This has to stop. Now."

The silence grew around them. After giving him this ultimatum, Impa just watched as her nephew shrunk on his chair. The blond Sheikah chewed on his lips, his troubled face twisting with a plethora of emotions; anger, sadness, confusion, and frustration.

Then, after mulling over his thoughts for a long while, Sheik raised his gaze in a defiant stance. "No. I won't."

Sheik's response was not what Impa was expecting. The ever dutiful and diligent Sheikah, she helped shape into the young man he is today, has never defied her in such a manner and never with so much determination in his eyes.

"Nephew, I know what you feel right now. It feels right, fills you with fulfillment, with certainty." Impa grasped both of her hands in a tight hold. "But what you feel right now, doesn't have a future. Think of this objectively, Sheik. Hyrule will never accept you two together. They will never allow the Goddesses' chosen to blemish himself with a Sheikah, and in a homosexual relationship? It will tear both of you apart."

"And you?" Sheik said back softly, his gaze down and hidden behind his golden bangs. "Do you despise us? To your eyes, are we disgusting?"

"Sheik…"

"Just answer the question… please."

"No… In a different place, in a different world… I would rejoice in your happiness and that bratty Hero seems to give you just that." Impa sighed, moving forward and pulling Sheik towards her to a loving embrace. "But Hyrule doesn't deserve you two… Even then, we still have our duty to save the very people who so easily hate us."

"Aunt…" A very rare and quiet sob escaped the young Sheikah, and he quickly pressed his face against her shoulder, trying to suppress the tears threatening to pour down his cheeks. "I love him… I truly love Link."

Impa sighed deeply, softly patting Sheik's back. "I know, Sheik… I know."

At first, Zelda almost feared that Ganondorf had discovered their location with how loud people are shouting and cheering right now.

But as she followed the booming voices, the Princess quickly found a large gathering of her subjects in the military area of their camp.

Luckily for her, people aren't so engrossed by whatever they are seeing that they didn't notice her presence. As she moved closer to the agglomeration of people, the civilian closest to her began to open a path for their ruler, letting Zelda stroll into the maelstrom of voices.

"What is happening here?" She asked with a loud cry, sadly her voice got easily overwhelmed by the sound of heavy boots stomping on the ground.

Growing annoyed and confused, Zelda scoured the place for a clue or someone that could fill her in, and after searching within the sea of soldiers in front of her, she found the familiar figure of Vahn sitting on top of heavy crates a bit to the left.

"Vahn!" Zelda called out to the small scholar as she reached the crates.

The red-haired boy, that is looking very bored despite all the excited shouting going on, shifted his gaze down and looked at Zelda. Greeting her with a warm smile, Vahn waved at Zelda and then offered a hand to her.

Promptly accepting his assistance, Zelda climbed on top of the crates and sat next to Vahn. "Good morning, Vahn. Could you enlighten me on this madness?"

"Morning…" Vahn smiled. "This is kinda my fault?" He said with doubt. "I went to talk with Papa today… we talked quite a bit. We didn't resolve everything, but at least we started it. Then, Link showed up and asked Papa to face him in a duel." Vahn pointed out to the center of the commotion. "And now here we are."

Right there in the center of the cheering soldiers, Zelda finally saw the two figures at the center of everyone's attention. At one side is Link, standing tall and fast, swinging his broad sword in a fast combination. On the other is General Val, maneuvering a borrowed long sword, parrying and blocking the Hero's advance with masterful skill.

"Men…" Zelda puffed the words out and then giggled. Vahn eyed her with a quirked eyebrow, which only made the Princess giggle even more. "You know what I meant."

"Yeah, I know," Vahn replied with a chuckle. "I too don't get the appeal of bashing swords and shields against someone else."

"Did you see La'Azul? I didn't notice her on my way here." Zelda asked, her eyes still focused on the duel just ahead.

"When I left her, she was still asleep. I think her body has finally shut down for the moment. After so many years of pain and fear, she has finally found a place to rest. Maybe even all this noise won't be enough to wake her up."

Zelda gave him an understanding nod. Even last night the poor Zora girl looked worse to wear, ready to collapse from exhaustion. But she endured her fatigue, she kept herself awake enough to share her tale with Zelda and give the Princess another plan, another hope in this horrible conflict.

Another roar exploded from the crowd, forcing Zelda's attention exclusively to the duel between the Hero of Time and the General in command of their entire army.

'Forward… I've to press forward.'

Chanting the words in his head, Link forced two steps forward, taking his weapon down in a powerful swing. Like every other time when he tried to get the upper hand against the older man, Link's blow only grazed against the General's sword.

It's infuriating. Link is faster and he is pretty sure he is stronger too, but he has yet to land a hit on the man. Not that he actually wants to put his blade on Vahn's dad's body, but he really wants to beat the man.

After minutes of this intense combat, General Val took the first proactive move in their exchange of blows. Pacing once and then again to the right, the tall commander lowered his sword and arched his upper body just slightly forward, trying to regain his breath.

There, an opening.

Lunging forward, Link brought his sword in an upward arc. The blade cut the air in its movement, making a loud chirp against the wind. However, to Link's utter surprise, General Val's sword was there to intercept his own, stopping Link's momentum with a loud sound of metal clashing against metal.

Link growled in annoyance, a frown appearing on his face. General Val went sliding a few paces back, the sheer strength of Link's arms overwhelming the larger man.

"Gahh… You're surprisingly strong, lad." The General said with a hoarse voice, a small grin on his lips. "Haha! To this day only one man has managed to push me back in a physical contest. Congratulations, boy. you earned a spot on this very privileged list."

If Link was proud or bothered by the compliment, he didn't show. Neither with words nor with his expression. His entire focus is directed only at their duel and nothing more, the nagging feeling of defeat still stinging him from the day before.

Pulling his right arm back, Link grasped his sword with both hands. Pressing the weight of his body on his right leg, he arched down and then jumped forward. Aiming a quick slash down, Link tried to knock the General out of his feet, but the man simply dodged back, raising his left leg to avoid the incoming blade.

Clicking his tongue, the blond warrior shifted his weight onto his left leg and rushed forward, aiming another strike at the middle section of the other man's body. Another attempt blocked by the General's sword.

Growing even more impatient with their stalemate, Link gritted his teeth. Swinging his weapon in a messy arc, he just tried the first thing that came to his head, anything to try and bypass his opponent's defense.

This time his sword went undeterred, Link's eyes widened in surprise. Realizing that he was not going to be matched by the General's sword this time, he shifted his focus on trying to stay the strength of his arm, or he would end up cleaving the man in two.

However, before he could try and control his speed, he felt the balance of his feet disappear, his vision twist and turn, for only then his eyes to meet the blue color of the sky far above.

"Goddesses by praise, lad. You are a feist one, heh?" General Val's voice boomed in the area, the soldiers all around them cheering loud and high. "But remember, strength is not everything."

Still discombobulated, Link pulled his upper body up, forcing himself to sit up. Glancing around him, he saw people cheering and applauding; he also noticed that his opponent is sheathing his weapon.

A very angry frown appeared on his face. 'I lost… again?' In his confusion, he tried to understand what happened, but could only remember that something swept his legs up, tackling his back onto the ground.

From the side, he heard the soft hustling of boots against the dirt. Taking a glance, he noticed the General crouching next to him. "That was a good fight. So please stop pouting about it, there's no reason to be ashamed of yourself. No one is born knowing everything."

"But… I am supposed to be the Hero, no?" Link countered. "I can't lose."

A burst of booming laughter escaped the tall red-haired man, his heavy hand came flying onto Link's back in two swift but friendly slaps. "Come on, lad. Life is not that easy. Even Ganondorf himself is not perfect. I saw that greenhorn get his backside handed to him quite a few times. Sadly, it made him stronger. He learned from his defeats and in return handed us a costly one."

'Stronger… better… I have to, I need to learn how…' Link chewed on his lips. Turning to the side, he stared with his big blue eyes directly onto Val's green sharp ones. "Can you teach me? Can I learn how to fight properly?"

The taller man pulled back a little, a serious tone appearing on his face. But soon enough, his lips widened in a big smile. "To train the Hero of Time himself. Hm… It'll be an honor, Link."

Uproar in camp never really quieted down after the epic duel they witnessed, even now at dusk fall, people are still talking and gushing about the incredible display of skills of both warriors.

Link quickly discovered that when someone as famous as him makes a public display, he will be surrounded by an unrelenting horde everywhere he goes.

Fortunately for him, his friend owns one of the only places where no one dares to enter, and so, the young Hero spent the rest of the day hiding inside Zelda's quarters, with the rest of his group keeping him company.

At the moment, because of Link's various complaints about being hungry and La'Azul weakened body, Zelda asked dinner to be served early. Inviting the entire group to enjoy this meal with her.

"Bahn… I gowt to shay…"

"Link, please don't talk with your mouth stuffed with potato." Sheik asked nicely, shaking his head at Hero's antics.

Taking one large and hard gulp, Link swallowed everything in his mouth, letting out a loud gasp of relief. "Sorry." He said looking at Sheik and then glanced at Vahn again. "Vahn! Your dad is amazing. You saw the way he moved? He is so tall and heavy, but he moves like a snake. I barely managed to pass through his parries. Spirits, I want to move like that."

On the opposite side of the large table, Vahn raised a fork at Link, a small piece of tomato hanging at the tip. "Papa is a battle freak. He breathes and lives for that kind of thing. If I remember right, he only stopped doing anything soldier-related when he was with mom… when she passed, well he just went full General mode every time of the day."

The table went a little quieter, no one expected to hear about his mother's passing. Noticing the awkwardness he brought with his words, Vahn just waved one hand.

"It's okay guys… it happened a long time ago. Way before the war." He sighed softly. "Both me and Papa have come to terms with it."

"The General said he will train me." Link diverted the attention to him and stirred the conversation to a slightly different topic. "I'm so glad… I was so rude to him and even then, he accepted to help me."

"Oh, Papa doesn't care about that much," Vahn added with a smile. "sure, he will bark back at you if you start things with him. But for him, actions speak a lot louder than words. And I am positively sure he is just as happy or even more than you about this. You heard him, to train the Hero himself, he will brag about that for decades to come."

"Oh, that he will," Zelda said with a giggle. "maybe poor Captain Briar will have a little slack now." Everyone but Sheik looked at Zelda slightly confused, and so she deliberated. "Briar is the last pupil General Val has trained. To this day he drags the poor Captain around as if he just his squire still."

"And said Captain doesn't have the backbone to deny his old master," Sheik added with a small grin. "How does he put it?"

"General Val is going to kill me…" Both Zelda and Sheik said at the same time, the pair of siblings sharing a little laugh at the expense of the man's woes.

"I didn't know that…" Vahn said with an aloof look on his face. "Captain Briar, the black-haired man that stood with Papa, right?" He glanced at Sheik, who after quirking an eyebrow nodded back. "He is kinda cute."

Both Zelda and Sheik looked at each other, for a moment only dumbstruck but then they began laughing all over again.

"You behave now, Vahn." Zelda said with a little wave of her hand. "I can just see how terrified Captain Briar would be of such a comment. And you father may as well kill the poor man if he dares to touch you."

A frown appeared on Vahn's face, paired with a little pout. "That's stupid… I am an adult, you know."

"For what I saw, not in your father's eyes." Sheik said simply, hiding a little smirk behind the cup he raised to his lips.

For the next minutes, Vahn complained about his 'Papa' overbearing attention, and everyone else just made playful comments about the petite scholar; especially Sheik, that never failed to point out to his red-haired friend that his so eager thoughts are a bit jarring as well.

After sharing a cheerful dinner with everyone, Zelda asked for a light dessert to be served. Taking this blissful respite given to them, the Princess decided to share with everyone else, mostly Link and Vahn, the next steps she has decided to take.

"Thanks to La'Azul's tale, we discovered that our Zora allies are not lost to us." Zelda began with a serious tone, her voice drawing every attention to her. "Also, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to you, La'Azul."

The shy Zora averted his gaze down, her cheeks flushed with a warm color. Replying silently with a nod, she slowly brought her eyes back to Zelda.

"According to her, Ganondorf's minions weren't after destroying the noble Zora." Zelda continued, pressing both hands in a tense grip. "Instead, those monsters sought to imprison them."

"All of them?" Vahn asked. "That… doesn't sound too logical. The amount of effort and space necessary to keep an entire race locked up."

Sheik's expression also grew dire. "Yes… rationally it sounds like a logistic nightmare. To keep so many alive, even if barely fed. That's why they didn't go with logic."

"You mean?" Vahn asked again.

"They are frozen, encased inside hideous crystals." La'Azul raised her voice, lips slightly quivering at the rushing memories. "An army of monsters poured inside our home… We thought… we thought they would kill us all. But instead, they rounded us into groups. Separating people in secluded spots and then those robbed people came. M-My brother… he…"

"It's okay La'Azul… You don't have to tell that story again."

The Zora nodded, hugging herself as she laid further back in her chair.

"In my opinion, it would be best if we only kept our attention to the crucial information as to spare La'Azul of painful memories." Instructed Zelda, extending one hand and placing it on the Zora's lap, who is sitting at her left.

Clearing his throat, Sheik got the spotlight on him. "As she explained, the Zora are being held inside a magical prison of sorts. A cocoon made of crystal, that apparently keeps them in stasis."

"Why?" Link raised a question. "Why would Ganondorf keep people stuck in a crystal? Why would he do something like this?"

"Why does Ganondorf do anything he has done? We can't try to assert the intentions of a mad man. That's an exercise in futility." Zelda said with a cold tone.

"Exactly. The reason for this hideous crime is not important. What matters to us, is that the Zora still lives and we have to release them." Sheik stated simply. "Not only are we duty-bound to assist our allies and free them of this destiny. If we were to add the Zora's forces into our own…"

"Ganondorf's army numerical advantage would diminish quite a lot." Vahn commented from the side.

"Okay then, Zora's Domain is next!" Link practically jumped out from his chair, startling La'Azul out of her wandering thoughts.

"Link… please sit," Zelda said with a small chuckle. "of course, Zora's Domain is our next objective, but we can't just march our way there and expect everything to work out."

"Precisely. It will take quite an amount of discussion and forming up strategy before we can assault Zora's Domain." Sheik concurred with a nod. "Which in turn, will give you time to train under General Val's tutelage. That's acceptable, no?"

Link pouted but relented with a nod. "Fine… But as soon as you guys… strategize or whatever, we are going!" He then turned to La'Azul and gave her a firm thumbs up. "Don't worry, we will save everyone there. You have my word as a Kokiri, and a Kokiri never lies."

La'Azul and Vahn smiled at the Hero's declaration. Sheik and Zelda, however, shared a worried glance; both slightly confused as to why Link called himself a Kokiri still.

"Ahh! I remembered!" Link cried out, raising both hands to his head. "Sheik… I want to show you something… Can we leave for the night?"

At first, everyone just stared at Link in silence, poor Sheik feeling his cheeks warm up with a pinkish tint.

Then one long whistle sang around the table. "Woah, Link… very smooth." Vahn teased with a wink.

"Aren't you a bold one? Trying to snatch my pure little brother away, with me in the room!" Zelda gave him a fake frown, her lips quivering not to spread in a large grin. "Tsk, tsk, tsk… Such a vulgar young man."

"T-This is not what I meant!" Link cried out with indignation.

"So… you are telling me that you don't want to get Sheik to yourself and kiss him silly?" Zelda asked with a quirked brow.

"Well… I do want to… but this is not about that… only." Link's honest protest didn't help his case much, but it worked wonders to make Vahn and Zelda squeak and Sheik to hide his face behind his hands.

"I don't know what surprises me more. His inability to lie or his ability to spew these things with a straight face." Vahn said with a grin, resting his chin against one hand.

"Like you're one to judge…" Sheik grumbled quietly, still hiding his face away.

"Are you two really going to make fun of me every time I try to have some alone time with Sheik?" Link threw an accusatory look at the culprit duo.

The duo which didn't seem fazed at all by his words, instead, one just giggled while the one give an honest nod of the head.

The tall blond was ready to shout something at them both, but before he could say anything, Sheik stood up and walked over to grab Link's hand. "Let's just go… it will just get worse if you let them get under your skin."

Letting Sheik guide him to the exit, Link threw a side-ways glare to the table and was quickly met with a pair of teasing grins. Groaning annoyed, he stuck his tongue out and looked away, now blushing just as hard as Sheik.

As the two blonds left the tent, Zelda and Vahn deflated from their over-excited teasing mode. The Princess got back her serene look, casually raising a cup of tea to her lips, while Vahn just kept looking at the entrance with a dreamy look in his eyes.

"You know… at first it saddened me that they got together, when I was still crushing hard on Link. But now I'm just so happy for them." He let out a sigh. "Ahh… to be in love… how jealous it makes me."

Zelda giggled at her red-haired friend. She too once had a little crush on Link, who wouldn't? But after noticing Sheik's infatuation with the tall blond, how could she do anything but root for their happiness?

Goddesses forgive anyone that tries to get between the two of them, because she would certainly not. And she is pretty sure that now Vahn shares the same sentiment.

How glad she is for having the quirky scholar in her life now. A friend that she can gush about things and tease Sheik about Link and vice versa.

Funny how quickly someone can become a beloved person in your life.

Placing her cup down on the table, Zelda looked at Vahn and smiled. "Vahn, would you like to take a walk with me?"

Vahn glanced at her and smiled.

"You too, La'Azul. If your body is not feeling too sore anymore."

La'Azul looked down at her hands but then nodded.

"Great. There's so much we have to talk still… and perhaps we can find a certain Captain to tease him a little."

A small blush appeared on Vahn's cheeks. "I knew that little comment would bite me in the backside…"

Taking a hand from each of them, Zelda guided them out of the dining area. With a smile on her lips, she turned to leave her living quarters. "What are friends for, right?" She gave Vahn a little wink.

Tiptoeing within the dark spots around the camp, Sheik allowed Link to lead them in a path that only the Hero seems to know. At first, the young Sheikah just followed Zelda's and Vahn's line of thought, he just assumed that Link wanted to take him someplace deserted so they could embrace each other again.

This line of thought still makes Sheik's pale cheeks warm with a red tint.

However, as Link led them further and further away from camp, this wandering thought became more and more unlikely.

So, instead of blushing silently behind Link, Sheik pressed his steps at a faster pace, getting himself beside Link, instead of just following behind him.

Noticing Sheik now walking at his side, the blue-eyed blond gave his beloved a warm smile and then turned his attention back to the thick tree line just ahead of them.

"Link… where are we going?" Sheik asked softly as they crossed a dark tunnel made of a hollow giant log.

For the first moment, Link didn't quite reply. Instead, he gives a soft squeeze on Sheik's hand. But then he glanced back and looked at Sheik for a small moment. "I want to show you a place. It's… a very special place for me."

Sheik only nodded quietly, feeling the sincerity and weight on Link's words.

He trusts Link, with no doubt, not even for a second. So, giving a soft squeeze back at Link's hand, Sheik closed his lips and followed in silence as Link continued to tread forward inside the very dark tunnel.

With each step, the darkness around them seems to get worse. Not even a trained Sheikah, as Sheik, can see anything in this lightless place.

But as the red-eyed blond was ready to suggest they make a torch to help them, a flash of light came from the path ahead.

This little ray of very bright lime-green color became a large beam and with a few more steps forward it became a wave of light revealing the magical space of the Lost Woods.

Like any other time he has braved into this place, Sheik felt his breath stop for a moment. The contrast of this magical forest compared to the rest of Hyrule is almost too surreal to believe. When they left camp, night had just dawned on Hyrule, the moon barely in its full height at the sky.

Yet, inside the Lost Woods, is like they are in the middle of the day. Powerful rays of lime-green light pour from within the small spaces within the gigantic tree's leaves. The round form of the spirits roams around in a carefree dance, their luminous bodies serving as another source of light and comfort.

Even the grass on the ground is radiant with life, adding a little glow of their own.

Seeing the ajar expression on Sheik's face, Link felt his lips part in a grateful smile. Not everyone can understand the beauty of this place, how amazing the spirits are. Most people are scared or even hateful to this strange new world, the reason for most of them to be consumed by the Lost Woods itself. The spirits are never kind to those who are disrespectful to them.

"Link…" Sheik said in a whisper, at the corner of his eyes he spotted a group of Moblins patrolling the large area a bit to the right.

"It's okay… they can't see us here." Link replied in a soft tone. "Moblins aren't very good with peri…perifi… at looking things at the corner of their eyes. If we stay away from their patrolling area, they can't see us."

"You've dealt with them a lot?" The blond Sheikah asked curiously, even after so many years of war he hasn't gotten more than a very few encounters with the giant brutes.

Casually strolling over a path of short grass, Link just shrugged. "Every Kokiri has to deal with Moblins at some point. They are bullies and they try to smash everything they see on their way. We just get very good at sneaking past them."

"I… see…"

There it is again, Link calling himself a Kokiri. Is this a way of him honoring the place where he grew, or it is something else?

"Oh, there! See that smaller tunnel to the left?" Link pointed to a ledge to the side, said tunnel is up above three sets of wooden ladders, quite high from where they are now. "That's the one, I would never forget about it."

With child-like glee, the young Hero pulled Sheik with him, bouncing on his feet as he marched towards the wooden ladders.

As it would be very hard for them to climb while holding hands, Link released his grip on Sheik's left hand. Moving with grace and speed, the blue-eyed blond began to climb hastily, a silly grin on his lips.

Easily following behind Link, Sheik climbed the ladders and jumped at the edge of the ledge. There he found Link calmly grazing one hand against the hard surface of the hollow log, his fingers carefully tracing some carvings made on the wall.

"Fado was here…" Link said with a small chuckle. "Mido, the great Kokiri boss…" Now he just frowned a bit, but still allowed himself to grin. "Mido smells of stinky mud." This time he openly laughed and then glanced at Sheik who walked next to him. "I carved this one."

Sheik took a glance at each carving, also grinning when he glanced over to the one Link is pointing at. "Not friends with this Mido character?"

A grumpy snort escaped his lips. "Not really, but is mostly his fault. I was not the one going out of my way to bully him."

"A Kokiri bully?" Sheik asked with a surprised face. "I thought the children of the forest were just innocent, fun-loving kids."

"Or they love fun alright. Sometimes at my expense, ah… just, let's forget about it." Messing with the hair at the back of his head, Link traced his carving one last time and then moved away. "It has been seven years. It doesn't matter anymore. Come, we are very close to it."

Raising his arm towards Sheik, Link offered him his hand again. The blond Sheikah smiled at him and accepted the gesture.

Taking one last glance at the small letters on the wall, Sheik thought of Link's childhood. Feeling a mixture of curiosity and sympathy. For one to grow as an outcast in a place full of strangers, it is never easy on a child. And yet, here he is. Headstrong, easygoing, and confident.

How can someone not like this person, this bright spot in the world?

They kept going inside the tunnel until they reached the ray of light coming from the other side. As they crossed the veil of darkness at the edge of the log, the view of an old suspended bridge welcomed them with eerie silence.

"Here at last…" Link chirped with a bittersweet tone. "I've never imagined that I would take seven years to get back."

"Are we where I think we are?" Sheik asked, pressing a little tug on Link's hand.

Giving a small glance to his lover, Link smiled and nodded forward. "Just a bit more… let's go, I want to show you around."

Strangely, Sheik felt a deep sense of apprehension washing over him. His belly began to twirl and his legs got a little bit too stiffen.

Drawing his gaze all around the large hollow log in front of them, it dawned on Sheik where Link wanted to take him. And somehow, he feels way more nervous about visiting this place than when he went on that day to the Temple of Time.

"After thinking a bit… I realized that we don't know very much about each other." Link started, pulling Sheik softly to guide the other blond into the entrance. "So, I wanted to share everything about me with you. Starting with this."

With no more than ten steps forward, and the brightest show of light erupted in front of Sheik's eyes.

After crossing the threshold of the Lost Woods, he was met by the vibrant colors of buildings and odd-looking trees. With Link holding his hands, Sheik arrived at the entrance of the Kokiri Village.

"Well… welcome to my home." Link said with the purest smile.

However, with all of his attention directed to Sheik and his reaction to the village, Link failed to see how much has changed in the place he has always called home.

There are no more excited little voices and giggles singing around. No more tiptoeing of small feet going around the place, looking for the next fun play to be had.

The Joy and warmth of Kokiri Village disappeared, together with the innocent souls that once lived here.