Link sat on a hill near the edge of the Ranch. After all that had happened today he just wanted to be alone. There was so much information to absorb.

Apparently he was a knight, born of the Smith line, only heir to the family line. Sir Smith was the leader of the Hylilian army. He was the 1st commander to bring peace to all of Hyrule at once in over a century. He was the proud protector of Hyrule, he saved thousands of lives. The King and him were very close friends and had been together in battle since they were young men. After Sir Smith passed along with the King Hyrule was handed off the young Princess and the royal council. The land slowly started to fall in disarray and wars slowly brought back into Hyrules life. The Council had the most say till Zelda turned 18 and the peace that the King and Sir Smith brought to land vanished.

Link knew that there was a small rebellion going on throughout the land for the loss of many people in wars with the neighboring countries. They had tried to over throw the council by performing the coronation on Princess Zelda 4 years before she was rightfully able to claim the thrown, from the old law. However they had failed in the attempt and the leaders who had been captured were executed publically for an example. There hadn't been a rebellion since but the land was still largely at unrest and crime was becoming more violent due to less guard influence in the cities.

Link sat there thinking about who his father was. A knight; Valiant and strong, Brave and fearless, Hero of Hyrule. Link was nothing compared to that. Link preferred freedom and adventure over duty, something he was always bad at. He was more laid back and carefree. He was nothing like his father. How was he supposed to change into someone, a knight, who was supposed to uphold that legacy. Link was a peaceful farmer not a majestic soldier.

He swore under his breath and wanted to punch something. Thinking about this was not helping him at all. It was only giving him a huge headache and the urge to fight. He'd had a bad temper once in a while but nothing like this…nothing so violent. His emotions were so scattered.

As bad as he wanted to deny everything and try to forget he knew he couldn't. Talon and figured that was where he was coming from, plus he had been wearing the Ring. Dammit! He was thinking about it again. Goddesses how he wanted to just kick his bucket of problems across Hyrule and pretend it never happened.

What had happened?

"Link," he jumped at the sound of his name. Looking around he saw that it was Sheik standing not too far in front of him. It was then that Link felt the coolness in the air and the darkening of the sky. He must have been out here for hours lost in his head.

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if I join you?" Link heard the hesitation in his voice. Looking at him Link could see how tense Sheik was acting. As if it was hard to control his emotion, which was something Sheikah were very well control of. Link figured it had to do with him; after all he was 'alive' again.

"No, please do." Link watched as Sheik walked across in the distance. His dark skin glowing in the moonlight, his hair catching the rays, and those red eyes. Like two beautiful rubies, he felt like he could stare into them for hours.

Link looked away, where had that come from?

"I was supposed to come get you for dinner." He said finally. "I told them you would come when you were ready but they insisted." Link smiled, then frowned.

"Why did they send you? Surly Malon would have been more convincing."

"I guess because I'm a boy." Link looked over. That was a bad excuse. Sheik caught his eyes and hastily looked away. "Ok I told them I would go." Link heard him chuckle softly.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You could always tell when I lying. I wasn't very good at it. Even when I was trying to hide a secret you would always manage to pry it out. It's just funny seeing you giving me that same face after all these years." Link blinked a couple times. He was so not expecting that. It was strange finding someone had a memory of you when you didn't. "Sorry. I guess that's a little weird for you to hear." Link shrugged. He pushed back and leaned on his arms.

"So, were we very close before…before I disappeared?"

"Yes," Link looked over at Sheik but he could no longer see his face. He could read what the Sheikah was thinking anymore. "We were once best friends. We did everything together when I came to the castle together. We even would play pranks on her; we use to get into a lot of trouble together." Link heard the smile in his voice.

"Really? Even if it's your sworn duty to protect her?"

"Yea. You were quiet the bad influence on me. But I wouldn't change it for anything." He saw Sheiks shoulders tense up, like he'd spoken too much.

"Do you think if I accept Zeldas' offer and come back to the castle with you guys ill learn anything about my past?"

"I am not sure. It's not for me to say, but I think maybe if you wanted to know then yes. There are books on your family history and a bit about you. However I doubt it would do much to help you remember what happened before the attack that night."

"What about the night of the attack itself. Do you think if it was so bad-"

"Link." He stopped talking and looked over at Sheik. He had leaned knack and now his face was only inches from his own. Link couldn't move. "I am not here to make the decision for you. You are more than welcome to come back with us and try to remember the memories you have lost. But if you don't want to because you prefer not to know then you can stay here. Zelda will not force your choice. This is your life." Link just continued to stare into those crimson eyes. They were so beautiful.

"Th-Thanks," he whispered. "And I'm sorry I should make the choice all on my own." He saw something flash in those red eyes real quick before Sheik leaned back and once again was facing away from him. Was it sadness?

Sheik sat atop if Links home staring out across the farmlands and into the starry night sky. Goddess, to see him again after all these years. All the grief and sadness he had dealt with over the years. It was like the old wound that had never properly healed was re-opened all over again. Sheik was over-joyed at seeing Link alive and well after all these years. However he couldn't also stop the memories of how he failed the one person he had always loved.

How no one recognized Link all these years and had stayed hidden from his past was a mystery, especially because he would have been well known by the guards', as he'd grown up most of his childhood knowing them. But I guess after he had been claimed dead there wasn't really any reason to search for him, even thought they had not found a body.

Sheik had spent weeks after that wallowing in grief and self-pity that the healers were starting to get concerned he might take his own life. It had taken years for him to final adjust back to normal. The nightmares only had stopped over a year ago there would be no sleeping tonight for him for he feared the images that had haunted him would come back to surface. Instead he was going to recite the story of the goddesses over and over so he didn't think about anyone or anything else. He didn't want to have to deal with his emotions, he knew better than to let himself feel anything.

However, his mind got them better of him allowing the flood gates or memories to open.

"Hurry run! I'll distract them for you two. It will give you enough time to get away" she ushered Link and Zelda down the hallway. Their survival was all the mattered to him.

"No!" Link shouted back at him. "I will not leave you here." He resolve firm. "Come with us."

"Go Link!" he shoved the blue-eyed boy off of him. "The more time you spend here the greater chance they have of catching you. You must protect the Princess at all cost, it's your duty." Sheik saw him frown.

"My duty is to you both…I can't just leave you behind," He whispered the last bit but Sheik had heard him clearly. Sheik looked into Links beautiful azure eyes then forced himself to turn away from them.

"Link…"He glanced over at Zelda to see she was lightly pulling on his tunic. Her eyes darting to him and then down the hallway. Fright was written all over her face.

"Go on ahead Zelda; I'll catch up with you I promise. You know where you need to go." He tried to push her off and send her in the direction they needed to go.

"No! It is MY duty to protect both you and the Princess. Please" Sheik begged him. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if anything happened to them, especially Link.

"Sheik," Link released his grip on Zelda and place his hand on the right side of his face. "I'll come back for you. I'll find you. Never forget that I-"

"Hurry! I think they went this way!" a voice echoed down the hallways.

"Please go!" Link scanned his eyes all over his face and Sheik resisted the urge to blush. Nodding he grabbed the princess once again and they fled down the corridor.

Taking the small blade that rested at his back, Sheik turned around and faced the empty hallway he was ready to right off and delay and threat to the others as long as there was breath still in his body.

Rounding the corner, he saw six men approach him. They came to a stop just in front of him.

"Where is the Princess?"

"Gone. Far away from here by now, vermin," the man in the middle, he assumed was the leader, sneered at him, showing yellow teeth. A jagged scar ran along his left cheek stopping just above his collar bone.

"I can see you're a Sheikah, boy, therefore you loyalty lies with the Princess. However, if you step aside we will not harm you," his eyes burned with lies and hatred.

"No." The men all smiled. They were going to enjoy killing him. As frightened as he was, he refused to show any fear.

"Suit yourself," with that they started walking towards him. Attempting to circle him. While his enemy may be bigger and stronger, Sheik was smaller and more agile. He lived his whole life learning how to fight and defend, he doubted these brutes did. Maybe he had a chance.

The leader lunged at his sword straight at him while Sheik jumped back and flung a throwing knife straight into his hand, he only had five of those left so he would have to be careful and try to just use his blade. The man screamed when the silver buried deep into his hand, blood welled and started to spurt out of the wound. The other men, stepping out of the sudden surprise, came and him. They tried to surround him but Sheik kept stepping back, if they did this fight would all be over.

Sheik stepped over to his right trying to get the upper hand, by getting rid of the slower personal first. The fat man would be slower than the rest. The fat man tried to lunge but was sloppy in his steps. Sheik dove underneath and brought his blade up into the mans inner thigh. He shrieked in pain before falling to the ground, nearly stop of Sheik, holding the wound the boy had inflicted.

Springing up from the ground he side-stepped and used him as a barrier between the other men. The man on the other side seemed stunned, unsure of how to proceed since he was so quick. Jumping over the fat man Sheik plunged his blade through the mans' neck. With both men down Sheiks odds were starting to improve; there was a lot better than five.

"He's just a boy, get him you bastards!" shouted the leader. Who had pulled the blade from his hand, a pool of blood forming to where it hung beside his body. Forming a line again they started to walk towards him. Sheik was being forced to step back into the wall. He needed to push them back. His hand fell over his leg where his carried his extra throwing knives, if he could just-

"Sheik!" looking past them Sheik saw Link running towards him. No! Stupid boy! "Sheik-"

"Sheik," jolting from his memory he slid his gaze over to his mother standing beside him.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you approach." Not a good thing when you were supposed to be on watch.

"I know." She sat down beside him. Her presence was welcome; however the question she was going to ask was not.

"How are you feeling?" Giving her a nasty look, he turned away before she could see it.

"Unbalanced." He replied bitterly. As usually she didn't say anything, just waited for him to collect his thoughts and finish when he was ready. "It's all wrong. It took me years to get over his death and my…failure to protect him. And here he is, alive and well, in Hyrule no less."

"Yes, it is unsettling. His appearance and shaken everything up, changed everything."

"What do you mean?" he said looking over at her.

"Even if he doesn't remember he is still, by law, engaged to the Princess. Whether or not Zelda will abolish this because he doesn't remember and has no knowledge of his past is yet to be determined however. He's also a knight by birth and therefore sword to protect the land. When people find out he's alive, they will look to him and Zelda to do what their fathers did and bring peace back to Hyrule. In doing this, marriage would be expected to happen between the two of them to create a perfect union within the country."

"Still he doesn't remember. I cannot see Zelda forcing him into something where he has no knowledge of her, his family, or what he was once a part of. It wouldn't be fair, and she is all about fairness. Besides, I think it's a good thing he doesn't remember…what happened to him. The stress and the shock of it all forced him to forget it, who are we to stir up those horrible memories and make him relieve them? If anything we should just leave and let him continue in his own way." Sheik looked away from Impa, her eyes were suspicious. She knew they were close as boys, and while homosexuality was largely accepted, he hadn't told anyone that is who he was.

He also didn't agree with what his mother had to say, even if it was the truth of the matter. With Link resurfacing into all of their lives, old feelings were bound to resurface. If Zelda still loved him she may try to court him and bring him over to her. With Link not knowing that he had any feeling from before, he may just fall for her charms and they would be married. He wasn't sure if he could handle that situation for the rest of his life.

"While I have to agree with you, it is Links choice now. Still, do you want that?

"What I want doesn't matter."

"Sheik-"

"No. It doesn't matter. My duty is to Zelda and nothing else. Link deserves the peaceful life he has found here, especially after everything." Impa rose then.

"If you think that is best."

"Like I said, it doesn't matter." But she was already gone.