I sigh as I walk in to meet the hero. Again. I'm trying to keep track of how many times we've done this, yet no one else knows. Only me. I tried to tell Zelda once. She had tried a different spell in that timeline, but to no prevail. I wonder if this is my own personal hell, seeing Link and never having him, yet I don't remember dying the first time we went through this.

He lands softly in the light and his fairy flies around him frantically. I know everything she says by heart. Too big hands for too small weapons. Have seven years really passed. I step forward when she bids Link to leave the temple.

I have long given up on the lines I first told him, but greeting him never changes. "I've been waiting for you, Hero." Because I have. Again and again.

Link whirls around, Master Sword pointed at my throat. I don't move and wait for him to falter. He does. My heart skips a beat when recognition flashes through his eyes, but only for a moment. Then he straightens and I know what he is about to say.

"No need for apologizes, Hero." Link seems a little stunned and I want to laugh because I know he is probably thinking I can read minds. No, Hero. I just know you better than you know yourself. I have studied you for many lifetimes now.

Blue eyes narrow as they look me over. I want to shiver under that gaze, but stand still. "Who are you?"

"I am Sheik and I can assure you that I am a friend." Navi comes over to fly around me. I'm sure she is inspecting for treachery.

I hold my breath. There have been few times that Navi has remembered. I dearly hope she does this time. It is always a comfort to have someone that knows the chaos we are in. As if on cue, her light changes to a bright yellow then dims to a somber blue, darker than her normal color. I barely nod to her, letting the fairy know about our previous agreement. Link is not to know that we are in a loop.

She flies over to him. "He is telling the truth, Link. Sheik is a friend. We can trust him with our lives."

We both seem to be waiting for the hero's response. What he says makes me blush a deep red. "He? Him? That's a guy?"

Navi can't hold in her laughter. She glances at me as she holds her tiny stomach. "Gutted, Sheik!"

I cross my arms, turn away from them, and glare up at the ceiling. A hand lands on my shoulder. "Hey, I... uh... Didn't mean it. Forgive me?"

My anger leaves me in a sigh. "Always, Hero."

"Why are you calling me 'Hero'?" I face him and let my arms fall to my sides.

I have to look up at him, not that this fact is new to me. "It is because that is what you are."

He knocks his shoes together and glances away awkwardly. "Stop it. Navi said my name, so I know you know it. I'd rather you use it."

"If that is what you wish, Link." He smiles, big and beautiful.

"Thank you." It surprises me when I'm pulled into a warm embrace.

I almost stutter as I back out of his arms. "Now, we must make haste to Kakariko Village."

"What's in Kakariko?"

"An item you need to enter your first temple."

"The hook-shot." Link nods, as it he is sure of himself, and makes his way off the raised area.

Navi turns yellow once more and comes over to land on my shoulder. "He remembered."

"He does every now and then. You know that."

"But something so small and so early in the quest."

"We will just have to see what happens."

"Are you guys coming or what?"

When we finally catch up with him, Link has slain every redead in the marketplace and wiping his sword clean in the moat. "Stupid undead freaks. Getting their nasty-arse blood on my weapon."

My ears lower as we walk up beside him.

"Can you believe this, Sheik." He points to a spot near his belt. "They got their fucking blood on me too! Damn bastards!"

Navi hisses beside me, no doubt remembering the first time I cursed around Link. As far as I know, he has called leevers bastards every since, no matter if we reset or not. "Watch your mouth, Link! We don't talk like that!"

"But Navi! My sword! And my tunic! I really liked this new one!" He pouts as she lands on his head and pulls his hair. "Stop it, you big meanie!"

I snort and walk over to stand behind him. "We really should be going, but I suppose you should clean your dress." And with that, I kick him into the moat.

Link surfaces and turns to glare at me. "What the hell was that for! Now I'm gonna smell like a wet wolfos! And it is a tunic, not a dress, you jack-arse!"

"Link!" I sit on the broken bridge and laugh as Link trudges out of the water. Perhaps we can be close friends this time.

"Hey." Navi scowls at Link from the other side of the moat, but he doesn't seem to notice the intensity as he sits down by me. "You have a really nice laugh, Sheik."

I pull my cowl up higher as I blush. "Y-You think so."

"Yeah. It makes your eyes light up like the sun."

I look out across the field, but I'm not really looking at it. My mind is stuck on the enigma beside me. Why is he here? Who sent him? How does he know me? But most of all... Why does my heart beat so quickly when I'm near him?

He stands and I catch a quick look at his lithe figure before he is jumping the small break in the bridge. "We should be going."

Navi bobs around my head a few times before landing on my shoulder. "He's right, Link. The faster we are, the more we can get done today. And the closer we are to kicking Ganondork's big butt!"

I snort. "Hey, I came up with that insult!" I freeze, not noticing Sheik and Navi doing the same.

When did I decide to nickname the Dark Lord Ganondork? I can't remember...

"Oh, you're right! Zelda thought it was really funny."

"A curious way to call the Dark Lord. Though a bit childish. You must have called him that as a child. Am I right?" I pause at Sheik's words. Surely that was it. Or maybe it wasn't.

I ignore the feeling and smile. "Must be, huh. I wonder why I can't remember when I started that."

"Seven years of sleeping will do that to your memory, I suppose, Hero." Thunder roars in the distance and I watch Sheik flinch. "We should get to the village before the storm rolls in."

I nod numbly, thoughts still on my missing memory.

Rain pours down as we finally enter Kakariko and I'm rushing Link over to my aunt's home. "Hurry before you catch your death, Link."

"You as well, Sheik." Link turns to grab my hand and pulls, accidentally making me run into his chest. His arms come up on impact, staying around me for a moment, before they finally drop with a throaty chuckle from Link. "Opps."

Damn that wolfish grin.

The forest is silent as we make our way across the bridge. I'm preparing what I will say to Link in my head when he sees the village. How overgrown and monster filled it is.

We emerge from the giant log and Link immediately starts in the direction of the entrance to the Lost Woods, not even flinching when a giant deku baba tries to grab him.

Navi flies back to land on my shoulder for a moment. "I can tell he isn't distressed terribly by this, Sheik. Why?"

"I'm not sure..." So much for my preparation.

"Sheikah warriors do not hold hands, Link." I attempted to pull my hand away again, but Link held fast. I swear I could hear Navi giggling.

"And I say I want to. This is your first time going through the woods, after all." Except it isn't. I want to tell you, Link, that I've helped you map large expanses of these woods when Ganondorf drove the townspeople into them. But I dare not say that, so I allow Link to continue holding my hand.

"Wolfos, watch out!" Link jumps back as Navi speaks, though I'm unsure whether he actually needed to be warned as his sword is already out and swiping across the wolfos exposed stomach.

I take this moment to jump onto the wall of the maze and head to the temple. There are certain things I like to keep similar to the original events.

"Did you see that, Sheik? I was super quick." I glance around, but find no Sheik.

Navi ruffles the hair sticking out from my cap before slapping my nose with her wings. "He probably went ahead, Link."

I sigh. I had hoped we could fight our way through the maze together, but he always disappears here.

My brows furrow. Wait... This is our first time together here, right?

Putting such thoughts away, I easily scale the wall and hop the gaps. Navi tries to get me to do things the right way, but I don't want to. "I hate moblins, Navi."

That also makes me think, because I've never seen monsters like these hulking things before. Or... have I?

Shaking my head, I hurry forward and jump to the first set of stairs. There is a moblin waiting at the end with his massive club, but I know by just looking at him that he won't be a problem.

...

Sheik playing his harp in a tree

Forest Temple:

~ The two decide to cover more ground separately and Sheik is a key magnet.

~ Phantom Ganon is a pushover for Link because his body remembers the many fights.

My eyes widened as I opened the small book and read the first page.

I do not know if it is divine intervention... or perhaps, retribution for my crimes. Anyways, the man we love will not remember the timeline in which I remembered everything. So, I have wrote down every bit of information I can think of in this journal to help future me's, Links, get that which we desire most. A peaceful future for Sheik. Nothing else matters anymore. I have charmed this journal so that it will only appear to myself, you, and only ever right where you have found it. You are free to leave your own notes in it. I'm sure other Links have unless you are the first after me.

Take care of him where I could not,

Link.

How? This was my handwriting.

"Link?" I hurried to hide the book in the folds of my tunic. "I've been calling for you."

"Sorry. The bath made me light headed."

"Maybe you should not have jumped in it the second I finished boiling the water." That knowing look was in Sheik's eyes and I inwardly cringed. He remembered things I did not. He knows my quirks. Knows I'm lying. Yet, he doesn't call me out on it.

Instead of voicing any of this, I rubbed the back of my neck. "I guess I'm just an idiot."

"You said it, not me." He must have seen the surprise in my eyes at that, because he laughed and said,"You think I have not thought such a thing."

"Meanie." I stuck my tongue out at him and smiled when he returned it.

"This meanie is going to enjoy the bath if you don't mind, Mr. Hero." My ears lowered at the nickname I had acquired as a child. Stupid guard.

The door shut behind Sheik and I immediately pulled the journal out. I had to see if the other Links found out anything I can use against Sheik to make him embarrassed.

Steam still rose from the tub as I lowered myself into it. What could Link be hiding? I racked my brain for anything and only came up with him acting suspicious a few times in all the timelines. They all seemed to happen in the same place. Link's room in Impa's house. And after the spot in my memories I can't seem to access. Why was I drawing a blank for that timeline? I sighed. This would just make me gain a headache and not be able to properly guide Link. So, I washed my hair quickly and got out.

"You look pretty cute in a towel." I looked to Link's door and found him leaning against the door frame, his eyes trailing down my body. "You are welcome to stand there and let me look at you, but I think we have a mountain to climb."

My blush reached all the way to my ears as I scurried to my room and closed the door loudly. I cursed myself and slid down the door. Why was he there right as I got out? Did he wait for me to come out? How would he know I don't dress in the bathroom like most? I gulped. Could Link be remembering things?

Meanwhile, in Link's room...

I looked down at the growing tent in my pants. Probably not the best idea. How am I going to deal with this? But Sheik looked so cute. Who knew he would have a birthmark on his hip? I guess I did at one point. I wonder if he hates it...

I composed myself as I opened my door and stepped out. No Link in sight, but just to be safe I kept up my emotionless facade.

"You're super tense." A not-so-manly-squeal escaped me as I flew forwards.

I looked back to see Link watching me with a wide smile, sure there was death in my eyes. "How did you do that?!"

"Ouch. That glare could kill, Sheik. Perhaps, save it for Ganondork." Link chuckled and I could see he was trying hard to not burst into uncontrollable laughter. "You are just too cute, Sheik."

My heart thud in my chest, but I tried not to show how happy I was by pretending to bristle. "I am a Sheikah warrior. We are not cute."

"But you are." He advanced and I was reminded of how a few timelines back, Link had pinned me against a wall in the Spirit Temple and- "Stop thinking about other things. What matters is right here and now."

It was like a switch was flipped and I shoved Link away. "You're correct. We should stop wasting time. The Fire Temple awaits."

"Aww. Sheik. The mood was perfect though."

"Perfect for what, Hero?" Not waiting for a response, I began the descent down the stairs.

Unknown to me, Link was watching me with lustful eyes.

"It's hot, Sheik."

"We are in a volcano temple, Link. It was bound to be hot in here. There is lava only a few feet from us."

"I know, but why does it have to be sooooo hooooot!"

"If it helps, the next temple is the Water Temple."

"That sounds like heaven."

"It truly isn't."