AN1: When Impa talks about being "Committed," its the Sheikah equivilant of marriage. You either Commit to protecting the Royal Family, or you Commit to protecting your spouse and making a family. You can't do both, because they'd potentially conflict with each other. Also, I made Committing up. Just in case you were confused. :D

AN2: About the whole put-in-a-bottle thing, I figure if you can do it with poes...

AN3: About the earrings, in the OoT manga Impa says that getting ears pierced is a rite of passage into adulthood for male Sheikah. Just in case you haven't read the manga, I figured you should know.

Chapter 6 - Scars

The unnatural silence was what woke him. A young Sheik sat up in his bed, straining to hear the slightest sound, but there was nothing to see or hear in the utter blackness of the night. He jumped slightly as he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

"He has made his move. The king and his guards are dead. We must leave with the Princess and protect her at all costs." Impa's voice was barely audible, but Sheik understood what had to be done immediately. He soundlessly got out of bed and quickly walked to the emergency trap-door in his floor; the same door that Impa had used to get into his room without being noticed. Without a second thought, he dropped through the door into the secret tunnels below.

Impa dropped down after him, closed the door, and lit a hidden torch. The flame cast harsh shadows on her stoic face. She headed swiftly in the direction of the stables without waiting to see if Sheik could keep up. He didn't have any trouble in keeping with Impa's quick pace, but his bare feet would occasionally slip on the wet floor, making him stumble slightly. He briefly regretted not changing out of his pajamas, or at least putting shoes or sandals on.

As they neared the exit to the stables, Sheik found himself overcome with a feeling of the surreal. Ever since the Princess started to have her dreams, Impa had drilled every Sheikah in dozens of possible contingency plans. This current situation was the only one in which Sheik would have had to play a major part. He knew exactly what he had to do, he just never thought he'd actually have to do it.

Impa suddenly came to a stop, and Sheik nearly ran into her. As he skidded to a halt, he said, "Why did we stop? The stables aren't for another few minutes."

Impa turned to him, her eyes shining strangely. "You understand the risk you are about to take?" Sheik nodded quickly. Impa paused for a moment, then in one fluid motion knelt down and took Sheik into her arms, holding him tightly. "You've been like a son to me, Sheik…It's been like I've Committed twice over." Impa's voice shook slightly. "If …If we don't make it through this alive…I just wanted you to know that."

She held him for another moment, then stood up. She sighed sadly, then said, "Let's go." She continued running in the same way as before, with Sheik following close behind.

--

Sheik made the final adjustments to his disguise, then wrapped a royal cloak around himself. He was the first one to be ready. Impa was still putting saddles onto two nearly identical white horses, another Sheikah that he didn't know was getting dressed up like Impa, and the Princess was curled up in the corner, shaking with silent sobs.

He shifted anxiously from foot to foot while he waited. He just wanted to get the plan in motion before he lost his nerve. It took the others a few more minutes to get ready.

The stranger Sheikah finished getting ready, and she twitched another royal cloak about herself. She looked as if she could have been Impa's twin sister. She and Impa mounted the two white horses at the same moment. Sheik got onto the horse that the fake Impa was on while Impa gently lifted the Princess onto her horse.

Impa stared at Sheik for a few moments, then rode her horse out of the stable without a word. The fake Impa waited a minute, then spurred the horse on in the opposite direction. The sky started to blacken with an impending storm.

--

Sheik heard the vicious whinny of another horse. He risked a backwards glance, and saw Ganondorf atop a black horse, which was gaining on them fast.

He took the bait! he thought to himself with a slight grin.

The fake Impa urged their horse on, and she whispered to him, "When I say so, jump." He nodded and braced himself. She waited until Ganondorf was only twenty feet away, then yelled, "Now!"

They both jumped from the saddle, and the fake Impa disappeared. Sheik felt a jerk, then fell back onto the horse. The horse slowed due to lack of being told where to go, and Sheik panicked. He tugged at his cloak and found that it had gotten caught on the saddle. He struggled frantically with the cloak until it ripped and he fell off of the horse into the road. It began to rain heavily.

"You are not the Princess."

Ganondorf picked Sheik up roughly by the collar, lifting him off of the ground so that they were eye-to-eye. Ganondorf eyed him with an arched eyebrow, then lifted a large wallet with his other hand. "If you tell me where the Princess is, I will give you this whole bag of rupees, and I won't kill you. How does that sound, boy??"

Sheik trembled with anger and spit directly in Ganondorf's face. "You think you can buy the loyalty of a Sheikah, you arrogant pig?!" he hissed.

Ganondorf stared at Sheik in disbelief, then his face contorted into a grimace of fury. "That was the wrong answer, boy." He pinned Sheik down to the muddy road and his other hand started to glow.

He did not struggle. He did not apologize or plead for forgiveness. He did not beg for his life, even as he felt his flesh burning from the magic. There was more to the pain than simple burning; it felt as though his very life energy was seeping out of his wounds. A clap of thunder was the last thing Sheik knew before he blacked out.

--

Sheik heard voices. He couldn't tell what they were saying, and he had a massive headache. He groaned, and risked opening his eyes a fraction. Thankfully, the cavern he was now in was rather dark.

He saw a shape hovering over him, and as his vision cleared he realized that it was Impa. She looked as if she had aged several years since he last saw her.

"…Sheik?" she asked softly.

"Hmnyeahh?"

"How do you feel?"

He blinked and thought for a moment. "As if I've been repeatedly hit in the head with a club…and I don't seem to be able to move." His words were slurred and muffled by bandages as he spoke. He dared to ask, "…Were we successful? Is the Princess safe?"

Impa sighed and slowly nodded. "Yes, she's in the safest place she could possibly be," she said with a smile as she lightly touched his forehead with her fingertips. He furrowed his brow in confusion and opened his mouth to ask Impa to elaborate.

.:Don't worry, Sheik! I'm safe with you protecting me!:.

"Princess?!" His eyes widened and he sat up. He realized a moment too late that movement was excruciatingly painful, and he doubled over with a groan. He looked around the cavern, expecting her to be hiding in a corner. Impa looked at him, a look of concern on her face.

"What's wrong, Sheik?"

"Didn't you hear the Princess say something…?"

.:Hee hee…they can't hear me, silly. Only you can!:.

Sheik's eyebrows moved into his hairline. "Impa…where, exactly, did you say the Princess was?"

Impa sat down on the bed next to him and replied, "She's in your spirit."

He gaped at her. "…WHAT??"

Impa sighed and pushed him back into a lying down position. "What is the last thing you remember, Sheik?"

"I remember Ganondorf doing…well, doing something to me, and then lots of pain. And then I woke up just now."

"You remember nothing else? Nothing between then and now?"

"Well, now that you mention it…I remember feeling kind of…" He furrowed his brow and tried to think of an adequate description of the sensation that he had felt, then continued, "…weightless. And warm. Almost like I was back in the womb or something."

Impa's chin trembled and her eyes watered slightly. Had he said something wrong?

"Sheik, you died." Her words echoed harshly in the cavern.

"…I what?"

"Ganondorf tore your spirit from your body and you…you…" She turned away from him and took a few moments to regain her composure. "…It is unforgivable that he would bestow such harsh punishment on a mere child…" She turned back to him, a forced grin on her face. "But the fool unintentionally gave us a perfect safe haven for the Princess. Since your spirit had left your body, we were able to put both your spirit and the Princess' spirit back into your body. And he won't come looking for you because he thinks that you are dead."

"Wait…how does that work? Why didn't my spirit move on if I…if I died?"

"The spell that he used made it so that you're spirit would remain in this world. Fortunately, Ardrea--" she gestured vaguely behind her, and the Sheikah that had been with Sheik on the horse waved briefly at him, "--got to you before your spirit dissipated. She put your spirit in a bottle and brought your body here, where we put the spirit of the Princess and your spirit into your body. The spirits are probably still trying to settle in, so your head will probably feel a little crowded for a couple more days."

Ardrea moved closer to Sheik. "You impressed me, little one. Not many Sheikah would have been able to be that close to Ganondorf's face without showing any fear, let alone spitting in it. Did you tell him of his scar or his piercings yet, Impa?"

"I was getting to that, Ardrea…" Sheik looked at Impa quizzically, and she continued, "You were also severely wounded by Ganondorf's spell. We were able to heal most of it, but you will always have a scar over your face and chest. When you are better, you should try not to show it to anyone. Anyone working for Ganondorf would surely recognize the mark of dark magic and would tell him that you are still alive. Can you promise me that you will not show your scar unless you know the person to be trustworthy?"

Sheik nodded vehemently.

"Good…now on a more pleasant note, your ears were pierced while you were resting." She smiled and gently pulled his left ear so that he could see the silver earring on his earlobe.

Sheik touched the left earring lightly, and checked the other ear. There was an earring there, too. "Really? You mean I'm a man now? I'm not complaining, but I'm only twelve! This is highly unusual!" He grinned like a child who had just been given an entire litter of puppies for his birthday.

Impa chuckled, "If dying for the Royal Family doesn't make you a man, then I don't know what does." She brushed a lock of hair from his face with her fingers. "And these are unusual circumstances…"

Ardrea quietly finished Impa's sentence, "…considering that we are the last three Sheikah."