CHAPTER 5

When we got home Impa told me to sit down so she could get a better look at my eye. I wasn't in the mood to give her a hard time and did what she said.

I pulled back my cloak and Impa gasped. "Why did they do that to you?"

"Because I stood up to them, that's why!" I snapped.

"Maybe you shouldn't have said anything to them," she suggested.

"They would have done it anyway!" I replied angrily. "They don't like Sheikas! They think the only thing we're good for is being nanis!"

"That's not what they all think," Impa said, putting a cold cloth with ice in it up to my eye.

I put up a hand to hold it. "Well I don't know why they have to think it anyway or why they had to beat me up! They don't know me! I just got here this morning!"

Impa said nothing. I never expected a reply anyway.

"I'm going to be," I announced, standing up and taking off my cloak.

"Not yet," she said, grabbing my arm. "I need to talk to you."

I saw that familiar look on her face. She wanted to talk to me aobut something I'd done wrong. "What?" I asked, sitting down.

"When Zelda came back to the castle after you left she said you had threatened her," Impa replied. "I would like to know why."

I didn't answer. I didn't want to tell her. she wouldn't understand.

"Answer me!" she ordered, twisting my arm.

I cried out in pain but still wouldn't answer her.

"Listen, Sheik, she said coldly. "I will not have you coming here and casing trouble. I don't want you to end up in the dungeon. You know how bad that would make me look."

"You look? YOU LOOK!" I screamed, wrenching my arm away. "Alll you care about is how I'll make you look! You don't care about me! You only care about yourself!"

"That's not true!" she objected. "I care a lot about you! You just never give me the chance to show it!"

I didn't say anything. I didn't want to hear anymore. I was tired and all I wanted to do was go to sleep. "Can we finish this tomarrow?" I aksed yawning. "I'm tired and I'm not feeling well. My head hurts and my eye feels swollen."

Impa let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine," she said. "But you're not off the hook."

"Good night," I said.

I walked over to the bed and lay down. The minute my head touched the pillow I fell right to sleep and began to dream.

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I was back at the Sheika village. Merlain sat next to me in a branch of a tall tree. We were talking and laughing and totally happy. Zelda hadn't ruined things yet.

I said to her. "Promise me no matter what happens we will never leave each other? We'll always be friends and be here to talk to each other."

Merlain laughed. "Sheik, you know we'll never be apart. Even when we're grown and married we will still be able to talk to each other."

"Is that a promise?" I presisted.

"It's a promise."

That's when it turned to the nightmare I always have but this time at the end I shouted. "Merlain! How could you! You broke our promise! Why! Why did you break our promise! Why!"

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I woke up crying.

I sat up and wiped my eyes. I remembered the day we'd made that promise. It was the day before Zelda came and ruined everything. She had caused my only sister to break her promise. Zelda didn't care about promises. She only cared about herself.

I looked out the window at the huge full moon hanging low in the sky. Don't worry, sis, I thought. I'll make her pay for what she did to you. I'll make sure she regrets what happened. She won't get away with it! You can count on it!

I got out of bed and started to leave the house until I remembered Impa had locked the door and had the key. I sat down at the table and stared at my knife which Impa had left there. I could just imagine plunging it onto Zelda's heart. As I sat there I began to think about what Link had said. "At least you have parents," he'd said. "I never knew mine!"

You're so lucky, I thought to myself. It's not as great as you might think, Hero of time. You're better off without them.

I glanced back out the window then rested my head on my arms and closed my eyes. Maybe if I thought about other things I would forget about what Zelda had done to my sister. But no matter how hard I tried the thought just came back. It was like a disease and just wouldn't go away. I eventually fell back to sleep and when I woke I found the door unlocked at Impa and Jecra gone.

I wasted no time. I grabbed my cloak and put it on as I ran out of the house, through the village and into Hyrule field without looking back. I stopped when I was on the other side of the bridge and sat down on the ground next to the stream. I took a deep breath of air. I was nice to be outside. I pulled out my hard and began to play a song.

After a bit I began to sing. My voice was rusty and deep from misuse and I realized I hadn't sung once since Merlain had died.

I closed my eyes and shut out the images of that day. They would haunt me forever. I stared singing louder to ward them off.

My heart longs,

For feelings of love,

The gentle feelings,

Soft as a dove.

I wish I knew

What love was like

Then I know-

My voice brokeand I couldn't sing anymore. I pulled the cloak's hood over my head and put my face on my knees, shutting out the outside world.

Love.

The one thing I never felt. I had written that song so long ago, just because I was bored and didn't have anything better to do. I hadn't even thought about what the words ment. Now I did and they hurt. I tried to get up but couldn't. A tightness grew in my chest and I gasped for breath. I heard voices in my head. They were mocking me, taunting me. I wanted them to go away but they wouldn't. When I gasped they smiled. When I cried out they laughed.

Suddenly a great whiteness filled my vision. I felt faint and fell on my side, dropping my harp in the process. I was dying. The voices were dragging me to Hell.

I heard a horse whine just then and the sound of footsteps, softened by the grass. They stopped above my head and I could sense someone leaning over me. It must be the devil coming to take my soul to eternal torment. I thought.

A hand rested on my shoulder and a voice asked. "Sheik, are you all right?"

That wasn't the Devil. I knew that voice.

Suddenly the tightness in my chest loosened and I could breathe again. My eyes cleared and I saw Link leaning over me. "Hey, man," he said. "Are you all right?"

I sat up. "I'm fine," I lied.

"Are you sure?" he asked, still looking concerned. "I heard you cry out and came to see what the problem was."

"It's nothing," I growled, quickly retrieving my harp. "There's no need for you to be so nosy, Hero of Time."

"Look, man, I wasn't being nosy.," he protested. "I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"And now you see that I am," I retorted. "Happy?"

Link said nothing.

I ignored him and quickly made my way back to Impa's house.

"Sheik you should really knock off that attitude," Link called to me as I went. He sounded angry. i didn't care. "One of these days it's going to get you into big trouble and you'll have no one to turn to."

I ignored him and kept on walking. I didn't care one bit about his words of wisdom. There was only one thing I cared about. Revange.

When I stepped into Kakariko village I sensed the old 'feelings" returning. Those little feelings that bothered me even now. The feelings of guilt and the urge to apoligize. The feelings that didn't have any business in my life especially now. Why can't these dumb feelings just go away? I thought clenching my fists. I don't want them and I don't need them!

I sat down by the tree at the gate entrance and put my head between me knees. Why does this always happen? I wondered. Whenever I get mad I always regret it. Why can't I just get angry and stay that way? the answer was always so simple. Because I'm human.

I sat there for a moment going over my thoughts and trying to organize them. I needed to think clearly if I was going to carry out my revenge. I couldn't let my mind be scrambled. I didn't want anything to get in my way.

I just wish I knew how to do it, I thought. I can't just go to the palace. That would be too obvious. Maybe I should ask somebody. But who?

I sat there thinking hard. Nobody came to mind. I sighed in frustration.

"What are you doing out here?" a voice demanded startling me out of my thoughts.

I looked up.

Impa stood over me with an angry expression on her face.

"Huh?" I asked.

"You know I told you not to leave the house," she said folding her arms. "I can't have people seeing you."

"Why? Because I'll embarress you?" I demanded, standing up. "Well I don't have to listen to you, remember?"

"Yes, you do!" she shot back. "As long as you're staying here you do."

I didn't say anything. I knew she was right. I stood up and without a word headed to the house. I could sense Impa's eyes boring into my back as I walked and didn't dare glance over my shoulder. Doing that would have been a huge mistake. When I reached the front door of her house I opened it and stepped inside, letting the door shut with a loud slam behind me.

A/N

Sorry for no updating in so long. I'm going to try and finish this thing as soon as I can. It's bugging me. Don't flame me either. The story is old and that's why it's crappy. I don't want to delete it because it took hours to write. Actually I don't care about getting reviews for this fic. It's not that great anyway.