When Sheik arrived at the Forest Temple, he was alarmed to see Link sitting on a tree stump outside, sobbing quite hard. He pulled down his cowl, and ran up to her to check if she was alright. "Link, what's wrong? Are you injured?"

Link threw herself around Sheik upon hearing his voice, and continued crying into his shoulder. "They... sniff... none of them recognized me! Not even with Navi there! And, and Mido, he told me to find Link and apologize to her. I was standing right in front of him, and he didn't realize it was me!"

Sheik rubbed Link's back to console her, then gently eased her back down to the ground. "It's been about thirty six hours since we saw each other last, and I didn't expect you to be here already. Have you slept at all?" She shook her head in the negative. "Well, we can't have a hero who falls from exhaustion midway through her first trial, can we?"

With Link in his lap, Sheik leaned back against the tree stump and pulled a blanket from his storage in shadowspace. "The Kokiri didn't recognize you, because they still think of Link as a child," he explained, wrapping Link and pulling her close. "I'm sure once you talk with the Sage of the Forest, all will be revealed."

"...Saria is the sage, isn't she?" Link sniffled, and curled tighter into the blanket. "I tried talking to her over the ocarina, and she said she's in there... But it's full of monsters."

"You'll be no help to her if you collapse from exhaustion the minute you step inside," Sheik admonished. "I want you to excel at your first challenge, not falter." He then pulled off Link's hat, and gently undid the tie holding her hair back. "Sleep," he urged, lightly massaging her scalp. "I'll be right here keeping watch."

Link was immediately calmed by Sheik's motions along her scalp, and leaned into his neck. She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent, earthy with a touch of water, reminding her of a shadowy cave. He was warm and caring, not at all like his mysterious appearance would lead one to believe. It didn't take her long to nod off, with thoughts of Sheik filling her mind.

Sheik hadn't intended to fall asleep himself, but next thing he realized, he was waking up from a pleasant dream about Link. And that's when he found himself tangled in an embrace with the hero, who had wormed her arms out of the blanket and latched onto him in her sleep. They were so close together that he could feel her breath on his cheek, and if he moved just a little bit, their lips would be touching.

Oh, how he longed to know what she tasted like... He imagined she would taste like sweetmint, not saccharine and pungent like the painted up tarts of Castle Town. Her scent was clean and crisp like the forest, and she had rosy skin that needed not a drop of makeup. Even when she got covered with the filth and blood of battle, she didn't lose her charm.

Mind acting on its own, Sheik reached a hand up and brushed a strand of hair away from Link's face. She shifted in response, and soon her blue eyes fluttered open. Link took note of the closeness between the two, and after a moment of thought, leaned in and pressed her lips to Sheik's.

Sheik reciprocated and held Link close as they deepened the kiss, parting when the two could hardly breathe. "Mm, that's a nice way to wake up. Feeling better?"

Link blushed. "Yeah, sorry... You were right there, and I was having a nice dream, and I've never kissed anyone before..." Her ramblings were shushed by another kiss.

"I could do this all day, but sadly, there is work to be done." Sheik smiled at Link's blissed out expression as they parted, and helped tie back her hair. "All rested up?"

"Uh huh." Goddesses, she liked the sound of his voice. She agreed, she had to get out of his lap because the longer he held her, the harder she was going to fall. "I got that thing you said to get in the village."

"That's excellent. I have something to show you before you head in." Sheik helped Link out of the blanket cocoon, then pointed to the large stone slab in the middle of the clearing. "That marker serves as an anchor point for the magic of a melody I am about to teach you, one that will bring you back here no matter where you are in Hyrule. Should you find that you are not yet ready for the temple, you can leave to train and use this song to return."

Sheik produced his lyre, and played the notes for the Minuet of Forest. Link played along on the Ocarina of Time, matching him perfectly. After a little lesson on how to use the hookshot, Link entered the Forest Temple and Sheik departed for the Temple of Time, both of them with smiles on their faces.

A/N: These first two chapters were short, because the next chapter is pretty big and also happens to be the one I warned you about... ;)