A few hours later, Sheik was startled awake when he was suddenly couldn't breathe. Something had a vice grip around his throat but then he hissed in pain when a strong kick to his back sent him flying forward and ripped him from the choke hold. He rolled across the floor but then used the momentum to swing himself into a crouched position. He was about to summon his daggers but paused once he realized that Link was the only one in the room.
The hero was writhing on the ground in pain and his cursed hand had now turned on him since Sheik was too far to reach. He flinched back when a dark tendril lashed out at him. They didn't do that before.
Suddenly the hero collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath. His cursed arm fell motionless next to him and the dark tendrils faded away. Sheik cautiously approached him but Link pushed himself to his feet and bolted out the door.
"Link! What happened?" shouted Sheik as he chased after him.
Link rushed toward the right of Saria's house and went through the tunnel until he reached Woody's Grove.
The giant tree guardian looked down at him curiously as he skidded to a halt in his grove.
"Is something wrong Link?" asked Woody right as Sheik skidded to a halt behind Link, narrowly missing ramming into him.
"What…? You're not…he isn't…did I just imagine that then?" asked Link finally. Saria stood up worriedly from where she and Lisa were mixing berries in a wooden bowl.
"What's going on?" asked Saria. Lisa remained on the ground as she gave the hero a worried look.
"I was sleeping when suddenly my arm was throbbing and then started to move on its own. Soon it was hard to breath…which is new actually. Then it went straight for Sheik so I kicked him away from me. But like, a minute later it vanished…that actually happened, right Sheik?" asked Link as he turned to face the Sheikah. Sheik walked to his side and reached out to pull back the collar of his white under shirt.
"Yes. You gave me quite a shock when I woke up. But we cleansed the Forest Temple. How is that little bastard still able to attack you?" muttered Sheik with a frown. He looked worriedly at the dark purple veins that had now reach the hero neck. It explained why Link had a hard time breathing. They must have wrapped around his windpipe. One more attack and Link could suffocate. That's if they didn't reach his heart first. Or if they decided to just keep going until the veins reached his head and forced him to become some kind of puppet. They had to stop this soon.
Sheik glanced over at the hero and noticed him looking at him guiltily. He moved his hand to the hero's shoulder and gripped it tightly. He knew Link didn't mean to harm him in any way so he had no reason to feel guilty.
"Sorry…Link has to take the potion in order to get protection from this guys' dark magic. My power hasn't been restored fully yet. I'm trying though. Honest, I am," said Saria as she approached Link and looked up at him sheepishly. The hero smiled and knelt down in front of her.
"Hey, don't you worry about that, ok? I'm not blaming you. I know your trying your hardest to fix this. This guy just likes to make people suffer, but it will be a cold day in hell before I let him get to me. You just work on making that blueberry jam you promised me, alright? I'm starving just thinking about it," said Link and laughed when Saria gave him a tight hug.
"Hmmm…I thought I sensed a disturbance in my ward, but it didn't stay long enough to make me suspicious of it. Sheik, would you come here for a moment?" asked Woody. The Sheikah tilted his head but approached the giant tree guardian.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to stop this attacker if he doesn't stay within my ward long enough for me to trace him. So, I would like to link you to my ward. With your races' natural ability to sense any form of magic, you will to be able to sense him approaching before he attempts to cause Link harm. That should give you enough time to block him by summoning my power once you are linked to my ward. Is this alright with you?" asked Woody.
"Yes, of course. If it will keep him safe until the potion is ready," said Sheik.
"Well, I'm not alright with it," growled Link from behind Sheik. The Sheikah turned toward him.
"What? Link, this will ensure that you won't be attacked until the potion is ready and afterwards it won't matter because the curse he placed on you will be gone!" exclaimed Sheik.
"And meanwhile, I'll be watching as he attacks you instead. That's not happening. To either of you. I'll just deal with it until the potion is ready. I can just strap my arm down," said Link. Sheik sighed impatiently and stepped closer. Really, why does everything have to be a personal battle between them?
"That could be hours away! Do you really want to deal with it for a few hours? Come now, this is ridiculous. With the combined strengths of Woody, Saria and I, that man will not pose such a serious threat if he attacks you. It doesn't seem like he can control us like he can with you. Even a matter of seconds is painful and who knows what he could makes you do! Those veins are almost to your heart Link. If that bastard decides that forcing you to become his personal puppet will take too long then he could kill you instantly instead!" exclaimed Sheik.
"You don't get it, do you? Those few seconds are indeed painful, but I can deal with it because I'm the one being affected. I will do anything I can to help hinder this ass but not if it endangers those that are important to me. I can't just…stand there and watch you in pain when I can't do anything about it. That would hurt more than the pain itself," said Link. He spoke the last sentence softer, making Sheik almost miss what he said.
"How do you think I feel during these little episodes? If it wasn't for the Goddess's Tears, then…you would have been in constant pain until you either died or became possessed. Can you even imagine that Link?" asked Sheik as he tried to keep eye contact with the suddenly bashful hero.
"I will do this because it will allow you some peace of mind. That doesn't mean that some random attack from this guy will render me incapacitated. In case you've forgotten, this guy just recently got himself punched by Goddess Farore herself the last time he relentlessly attacked you. So, I'd think it's safe to say that he won't even think of trying to get passed me once he realizes that I'm not you," said Sheik. Link gave him a small smile as he looked up at him.
"Yeah…I guess you're right. There will be three of you to oppose him instead of just me. But…didn't the Goddess say that I shouldn't rely on her? Why would he not try to fight his way passed you when he thinks that there's a poor chance that Farore will be here to stop him if he did?" asked Link.
"There's the catch Link. We were the only ones present when the Goddess showed herself. So, how would he know that we can't rely on her?" asked Sheik as he rose an eyebrow.
"Oh man, your right! He'll probably think that she'll help me out if I jump in once he tries to attack you! You always know what to say, you sly dog," said Link, laughing. Sheik suddenly narrowed his eyes.
"…Did you just call me a dog?" asked Sheik neutrally.
"It's just a saying…slang if you will. You know, when someone says something smart or….never mind. Sorry, what I meant to say was what you said was brilliant…and ah, you know what? I think it's time to move passed this awkward moment so…how 'bout we get on with this whole linking to the ward thing?" asked Link nervously.
"Link! When are you going to learn to think before you speak? And to think that you maybe had managed to leave that habit behind this time around…oh well. It just means there will be plenty of fights in the near future," muttered Saria.
"Good Goddess…there's a chance that we will be fighting again like we have been already?" asked Sheik skeptically and then turned toward Link.
"You barely survived the last fight you had!" exclaimed Sheik. Link rolled his eyes.
"Oh please, that's the norm. I was surprised the little bastard didn't try to come out and help his ghost puppet try and destroy me," said Link as he stretched out as far as his injured arm would allow.
"What!? That's the norm? What's extreme supposed to be to you then? You're dancing with death enough as it is!" exclaimed Sheik. Link laughed and put an arm around his shoulders.
"Hey, a hero can't be too careful. Otherwise nothing would get done in time. Anyway, I'm going to go hunt for some grub because I am starving," said Link as he patted Sheik on the back. He turned and waved over his shoulder as he walked toward the exit.
"Maybe we can spar a little later, huh Sheik? But I've gotta go bathe because I'm sure I smell worse than a barn full of Ordon Goats on a hot summer day. Not that you have to worry about anything like that! Never thought you would take me seriously enough to keep the vanilla scent on you, but you got to wash it off eventually!" said Link assumingly before disappearing into the pathway into the village.
"Well, I wish he was this easy to convince all the time," muttered Saria. She turned and giggled at the shocked expression in Sheik's eyes as he cautiously sniffed the material of his body suit on his arm.
"Oh my Goddess…I forgot the entire reason why I went into the forest to begin with! Arrrrgh! I've smelt like this the entire time?" exclaimed Sheik as Saria and Lisa were rolling on the floor in laughter.
"Alright, alright, settle down. We have plenty to do and little time to do it in. Sheik come here please so we can get this linking process undergo and then you may go and do whatever it is you need to do," said Woody. Sheik took a deep breath before approaching the giant tree guardian. The first thing on his list, besides getting rid of this horrid smell, is to train. Or perhaps he should do some meditation or practice using his magic. He was getting rather tired of people sneaking up on him. He was a ninja, for Goddess's sake! We were the ones that did the sneaking, not the other way around!
An hour later, Sheik walked out from Woody's grove scratching the spot where a small gold and green leaf symbol now shone from his left wrist. He continued to walk toward Saria's house, thinking Link should be done by now. As he walked in, he soon found the Forest Sage's house empty. Great, nothing can ever work in his favor can it?
Grumbling, Sheik turned from Saria's doorway and scoured the small village. His eyes narrowed once he realized that none of the Kokiri was outside. His breath quickened as he walked farther out when he saw that not even the fairies that normally inhabited this place were there. The village looked abnormally dead in their absence.
"Sheik?" asked a voice from behind him, making him jump out of his skin. He immediately calmed once he heard the familiar giggle as he turned to face Saria.
"Did I scare you? Sorry! But you looked like you were about to freak out there. What's the matter?" asked Saria as she clasped her hands behind her back and swayed back and forth playfully.
"I was looking for Link so we could complete the ritual, but he isn't here. No one is. This place is normally so lively that it caught me off guard at the sudden change in atmosphere. I assume that this is on purpose since you are not bothered by it," said Sheik. Saria suddenly looked down sadly.
"Oh sorry…I forgot to tell you guys about the burial tonight," said Saria.
"Burial?" asked Sheik. Surely no one was attacked while they were away? The village seemed fine when they came back.
"It's the fairies…so many of them didn't survive the first wave. Luckily you were smart enough to seek aid from the Red Fairies near the Forest Temple. They sensed the disturbance in the old magic of the forest once Abby answered your call and then started to gather all the fairies in the area before bringing them here…we thought Abby would be fine since she was with Link. But I guess there was too much evil magic surrounding that place that it hindered the flow from his Piece of Courage. But everything's going to be fine! I know it! My power is almost ready and Link has never failed us before and that was without you. So, now that you're here, there's no chance that the bad guys can win!" said Saria firmly. Sheik sighed. Despite the fact that she was a sage of legend, she was still so innocent. Hopefully this new worldly disaster wouldn't change that. Then something caught his attention.
"How would Abby be fine just because she was with Link?" asked Sheik.
"His Piece of Courage. It's a direct link to Goddess Farore herself, so her power flows freely from it. That's why the fairies in the area were fine when Link came there because he sustained them and then I did once he left with you in the Forest Temple. Then…something must have happened when Abby was with you guys. Maybe he was hit with a spell or cursed or maybe she just got a little too far from him, so the flow wasn't protecting her from the evil magic surrounding that place. I really don't know but Woody and I have a solution for that. It's going to be really hard for you guys to cleanse a temple without fairies, I'm sure," said Saria thoughtfully.
Sheik wasn't really listening though. He was sure nothing had hit Link because both the pranks from the Poe Sisters and most of the attacks were actually aimed at him and he blocked the few that went straight for Link so…nothing fit except that she got too far from them.
Sheik put a hand over his eyes. The red carpeted hallway…that's when Link had panicked and tackled him clear off the ledge he was standing on. He must have bolted the moment he saw that old memory, meaning Abby was left behind and couldn't catch up in time before the suffocating evil around her started to affect her.
"What's wrong Sheik?" asked Saria. He shook his head. Link probably would never leave the forest if he thought it would kill so many fairies…
"Nothing, I'm just wondering where Link is actually," said Sheik. Saria tapped her chin thoughtfully before snapping her fingers.
"Oh! He said he was going to the area that was to the far left of the Forest Temple with Abby because Woody won't let any of us go out that far. He says it's too dangerous," said Saria. Well, Sheik was glad Abby was fine now at least.
"Thank you. I will join him then, but you said that your power is almost ready? Then you will be able to heal his wound soon?" asked Sheik.
"Yep! Me and Woody were actually going to use the excess energy from the new ward we're making to help speed up the process," said Saria. She turned as Lisa came running up to her.
"Woody says it's time! Hurry Saria, we can't finish it without you!" exclaimed Lisa excitedly before sprinting back the way she came. Saria smiled before turning back to Sheik and giggled at the questioning look he gave her.
"I have to go but Link should know what's going on so ask him. Take him to Link, okay Milly? Abby can lead them back," said Saria to her fairy. Milly nodded before zooming passed Sheik and headed toward the Lost Woods high above the village. Saria waved as Sheik went sprinting after the pink fairy.
"Come on! You can do better than that! Have you gotten out of shape already? You used to be so much faster than this when we raced before!" exclaimed the pink fairy as she whizzed past the entrance to the Lost Woods while Sheik was barely climbing the hill leading there. What in the world!? He was not out of shape! And he's never raced her before!
"Milly! Slow down! I can't fly, so that's a bit of a disadvantage for me, don't you think!?" Sheik exclaimed as he sprinted through the Lost Woods. He had passed through so many different hollowed logs that he had long since lost count off of them.
"Didn't stop you before!" exclaimed Milly as she whizzed to the right of a strange stone archway that looked really out of place beside the forest environment around it but it quickly disappeared from view as Milly whizzed in another direction.
"What are you talking about?!" exclaimed Sheik but Milly only laughed ahead of him. He huffed before pushing his speed to the limit and chased after the pink fairy.
Ten minutes later, Sheik was gasping for breath on top of a hill overlooking the Forest Temple with Milly bouncing in the air around his head.
"That was fun! Though you're still slower than usual-!" but something suddenly ran right into Milly and spun her around in the air.
"What-Abby!" exclaimed Milly as she finally caught sight of the red fairy smiling from behind her. They continued to spin in the air as Link walked up to them.
"Wow, what happened to you Sheik? This is pretty rare. For once you're the one out of breath. Exhausting, isn't it?" asked Link as he smirked at the hunching Sheikah.
"Shut up," wheezed Sheik as he glared up at the hero. After a few deep breaths he finally stood up straight.
"Now what in the name of The Three is going on here?" asked Sheik. Then he noticed that Link wasn't wearing his hat, but was almost cradling it in his arms instead.
"No one can come out this far, but there's still many fairies out here that never made it," said Link before looking down at his hat sadly.
"I've been putting them in my hat…because I thought, you know, that they would have liked a soft place before taking their final rest…" said Link softly.
Sheik sighed. This was a disaster! And one of the most innocent creatures in existence had to pay for it.
"I will take some back with me as well. I certainly owe them that with all the help they have given me in the past. We should return soon though Link. I think Saria and Woody are almost ready to heal your arm," said Sheik as they walked back the way Link came from.
"We also need to plan our next objective because as much as I would also like to stay and help everyone here, the longer we dawdle the worse it will become-," Sheik stopped mid-sentence at the sight before him.
Hundreds of fairies littered the ground, looking like glittering snowflakes. A small patch near wear he stood was bare but he realized that must have been because of Link.
"Oh, Nayru…may they rest in peace…" muttered Sheik.
"Yeah, my hat is almost full. So, I should go back soon anyway," said Link softly before walking forward and crouching on the ground. Sheik saw him gently pick up one after another and set them in his hat as he walked passed him but something bright suddenly caught his eye.
His eyes softened as he saw Abby burying herself in Link's hair, obviously not wanting to see her dead kin. He crouched down a few feet away from Link and pressed his right arm against his chest and started to gather the fairies before gently setting them in the inner curve of his arm.
They worked silently for the next few moments but Sheik was quickly running out of space. He certainly didn't want to drop them throughout the forest so he stood up and stretched his legs. Link picked up a few more before standing up himself.
"Ok, I can't fit anymore in here so I'm ready when you are," said Link as he cradled his hat against his chest with his left arm. Sheik nodded before heading out of the area.
"Man, Abby's out like a light. She's alright," said Link quickly when Sheik spun to give him a worried look, "I know because she's gripping my hair like it's a lifeline. Poor girl…she tried helping before you joined us but she would burst into tears whenever she went near any of them and it was hard enough keeping it together myself so I had her sit on my head and guide me…now that I think about it though…there was this one time right when we got here that I went on ahead while she stayed there for a moment or two but when I called out to her, it was like she couldn't hear me. She started to sway in the air until I got a hold of her and then suddenly she was just fine. She said she got dizzy for a moment but I don't know…"
"Link…do you not know the importance of your presence?" asked Sheik. Link gave him a weird look.
"Huh?" asked Link as he stopped and turned to give Sheik a puzzled look. The Sheikah sighed before walking up to Link.
"It seems that you are able to act as a stabilizer for the weakening flow of life because you have a direct link to Farore. That enables you to sustain those around you who are suffering from it," said Sheik before looking down at the fairies on the inner curve of his arm.
"But the protection that you bestow will start to dissipate the farther you are from those that need it," said Sheik softly.
"What? So, I'm now some kind of antidote or what did you say…stabilizer?" asked Link. He stopped and turned toward where they had come from.
"Wait, then why didn't the fairies heal when I showed up? Does it take time or do I have to say something?!" exclaimed Link.
"No, Link…The protection that you provide to them will not help the ones who have already passed on," said Sheik softly as he walked up to Link. The hero swung to face him.
"I-I can't…? What about the others? What will happen to them if I leave?" asked Link hesitantly. Sheik frowned.
"We can't stay here…"
"Why not!? If my presence helps prevent this," said Link as he wildly gestured to the forest full of dead fairies around him, "From happening then why wouldn't I stay?!"
Sheik sighed impatiently as he ran his free hand down his face. He really hadn't expected Link to just say "ok, let's go then" but it was still a nice thought to hope for. He brought his arm down and was about to face Link before he caught sight of something.
Almost directly to the right of where Link was fuming was a wide patch of dead grass that was definitely not there during his wild dash through these woods. There was no way it could die that quickly when it had been perfectly healthy not more than a half hour ago.
He jumped and almost dropped a few fairies when he suddenly felt a sting on his wrist. He cursed as he swung to his right and looked around, thinking a bee had come to interrupt his thought but swung back once he heard a gasp.
Link had his eyes shut and seemed focused on trying to breathe as he clutched his cursed arm with a wince. The arm twitched but didn't seem strong enough to move on its own. He glanced down at his left wrist when he felt another sting and his eyes widened when he noticed it was bleeding around where the leaf symbol shone brightly.
"It's like he's totally half-assing it. It is normally so much more painful than this or is that because of you?" grunted Link. He relaxed a bit and turned to give Sheik a confused look.
"Actually…the pain is hitting at different times…I think he's confused-" But Sheik cut him off as he gripped his right wrist suddenly and teleported them away.
Years of mental training and a high pain tolerence were the only reasons the sheer amount of resistance and piercing pain kept him from spiraling out of control. He wasn't sure if it was the natural unstable environment of the Lost Woods or the invading force of the one attacking Link that threatened to throw him out of his teleportation early. That was dangerous enough by himself. It could be lethal with a bystander.
They appeared in front of Woody's groove and Sheik immediately fell to his knees. Saria came running up to them just as Sheik heard a low laugh that seemed to echo all around him. Saria was crouching in front of him saying something but all he could hear was this low echoing laugh before it finally said something.
"No more getting away. I would much rather do this in person but who am I to pass up this opportunity?" said a familiar voice.
Sheik tensed as he felt a presence close around his mind. He looked up at Saria who was still trying to say something to him but he quickly gripped the side of her tunic and pulled her closer.
"Please…take them," said Sheik as he looked into Saria's scared blue eyes before looking down at the fairies against the inner curve of his right arm. Saria took the hint and gently took them as Link knelt down and gently handed Lisa his hat. He approached the Sheikah and placed a hand on his back.
"Wait…your presence is too dark to be him. I'm attacking the wrong person?! Wait! I know your presence! Shadow Walker! How did this happen?! No matter. I'll just take out the shield before the target. It will be so much easier in the end anyway," said the echoing voice.
Sheik trembled as he felt the presence get closer. He realized who it was but it was a different experience to have the guy attacking his mind instead of his body. He was startled when Link gripped his shoulder and turned to face him.
"What's going on Sheik? The guy isn't attacking me anymore! It's alright! Goddess, what the hell is going on?" muttered Link. Sheik didn't seem to hear a word he was saying.
"Now…I've had enough of people ruining my plans. So, I think it's time to go to a place where no one can interfere, don't you think?" asked the voice mockingly.
Sheik had to admit that this guy was frightening when he was actually being serious but what he said suddenly hit him. A place no one can interfere? So, he was obviously trying to take them somewhere that would allow him free rein. A place they couldn't escape from…
Sheik looked back at Link's worried cerulean eyes and suddenly found resolve within them. Link couldn't fight this enemy yet…so getting trapped somewhere would certainly spell disaster for him.
"Time's up! Now, don't be rude. You guys just got invited to a very private party. So, you certainly shouldn't be late!" said the echoing voice before the pressure around his mind suddenly shifted.
Sheik felt his attacker ready his power and he panicked when Link flinched back. He was trying to include Link in his attack. A fierce protectiveness arose from within him at this. He knew the raw dark energy emitting from the invaders presence meant that he wouldn't last but maybe a second before collapsing to the sheer force of his might but he would not submit. Time to give this asshole a surprise of his own.
Sheik gripped the hand with Link's Triforce symbol on the back and lifted it up to him. Link relaxed when he was able to breath normally again but then noticed that Sheik had the back of the hero's hand pressed against his forehead. He was startled to feel the wild energy that was so much like the forest surrounding him wrap around his mind and forced the dark energy that was attempting to restrain him. Sheik looked up and Link was captivated by the primal power that emitted from his body and shone out from his red eyes.
"Complete the ritual…and stay safe," said Sheik softly. He then closed his eyes and focused every ounce of his remaining power. He really hadn't tried this kind of thing before, but he's willing to try anything if it will knock this guy off his high throne even for a few seconds. If he can reach this attacker before he finishes his spell then he could interrupt it and prevent him from taking Link as well.
So he pinpointed where the core of the invading force was and reached out to grab a hold of it. Is was cold and felt like velvet but surprisingly was more cooperative then he had expected. He used it to propel himself forward and teleported straight to it. He was sure the distance would kill him but as long as this bastard got at least a punch to the face, then it would be worth it.
Link's eyes widened at what Sheik had said before the Sheikah suddenly vanished. Link had to jerk his hand back as recoil energy shocked him. He fell backward and gasped. He recognized that power…
"Link! What happened? Link! Answer me!" exclaimed Saria as she gripped the front of Link's tunic before her eyes widened at the sudden feral look that sprung in Link's eyes.
"If he hurt's a single hair on Sheik's head, that bastard is dead!" growled Link.