Frustration and Fear

Link grinned to himself as he got changed into his red tunic, clipping the belt over his clothing. He glanced at the face mirror to ruffle his hair a little more—it evened out the lift from the fight between his head and the pillow—and left, bare feet making tapping noises against the wooden floors. And he'd dreamt up ways to torment Sheik again, and he couldn't wait to test them out. Link regretted using the flood idea first, since that had almost been a last resort of his own, but then again, now he had a chance to be a more creative with this new company.

Link couldn't help but smile.

There were so many things to do today!

Link hopped out of the window from the second floor, can't be bothered with the stairs. He grabbed a branch to lessen the force of gravity and hopped down safely on the ground, grinning as he plucked a plum from the branch. As he ate he went into the Temple, careful as to not drip any juice onto the floors. After all, they were newly cleaned.

Link grinned as he opened the door to the front lawn, noting the two wolves that rested at each side of the stairs protectively. Gaia seemed pretty happy, so Link nodded to her, and then to her sister Yawl, and threw the plum stone away. He was about to go, when Gaia snorted and gestured towards the archway that led to the broken stairs with her nose, making Link curious. He jogged through, stopping at the precipice of the shattered steps. He saw nothing out of the ordinary, until he felt the presence of a stranger, making his muscles taut.

He snarled and grabbed the dagger at his belt, crouching a second before jumping down, barring his weapon.

Again, he found nothing.

Confused, he turned and sighed in relief, finding only a sleeping Sheikah and his camp. Sheik was wearing something different from yesterday, Link realised, and he examined the sleeping young man, the feminine curiosity overwhelming. He was wearing a black loose shirt, the symbol of his people, the weird-looking-eye, was stained at his shoulder, and Link saw that had been added in later; it was crude and very awkward. Sheik was also wearing brownish breeches, and leather shoes that went just above his ankles.

Link hummed, finding the situation boring. He couldn't really mess with someone while they were asleep, now could you?

Or could he . . . ?

Link grinned like a madman and activated Furore's wind so he could travel back to his room as quickly as he could. He would have to run back with the equipment to Sheik's camp, but who cared? He appeared in his room, and the racket he made as he looked for the things he needed woke Navi up. As he ran, she sleepily fluttered around his head, refusing to be left behind.

"Link, what're you doing?"

"A prank that you'd approve of."

Hastily explaining as he ran through the temple with the props precariously held in his hands, Navi listened, nodded, and snickered softly as Link reached Sheik's camp and did his deed.

His fun was destroyed, however, when he saw that the Sheikah was awake.

Sheik felt totally un-amused as he swung his sword wildly, cursing the Hero over and over again as he went through his fighting routines. Sheik couldn't help but wonder furiously, why the hell couldn't the Hero of Time just grow up and act like a civilized adult? Sheik slashed and wheeled, jabbing at an invisible enemy, thinking over what had happened when he'd entered the Forest Temple.

He'd woken up to find the Hero of Time standing over hism, with lots of little pots and brushes in his hands. Sheik had wondered why he was even there when the Hylian grumbled and walked away. Finding it suspicious, Sheik had tried to foloow him, failed and decided that it was best that he paid his repsects to the Temple before he tried anything today.

When he'd tried to open the door to the Temple, paint had splashed all over him. Link had burst out laughing wildly from a near-by bush.

Sheik had sighed dejectedly as he crossed the Temple grounds to sit in front of the pond, wetting his mask first before slipping into the water himself, getting rid of the colourful muck.

With a yell he swiped the killing blow, the image of the Hero of Time fading as he imagined blood squirting from the wound Sheik would've inflicted if he'd been there. Sheik gasped, out of breath, wiping the sweat away from his face (checking again there wasn't any ink on his hand), finally gotten his anger out of his system, and his clothes dry from the hot excursion.

But how he hated that bloody bastard! How he loathed his attitude! Sheik mentally laughed at himself for thinking for even one small, insignificant second, that Link had looked like that girl he had seen two days ago. Sheik'd looked for her the other day in the forest, hoping to get another glance of her, hoping to have her company. He'd wanted so bad to have someone to talk to, and Sheik had looked for her, finding nothing.

And why, oh why did he ever think that Link had some sort of similarity with her?

Fern. Was that really her name, Sheik wondered again. Could she really be . . . no. She couldn't be Zelda's twin. Or else, that meant that Sheik had grown very attached to a royal. There was no way he could let himself fall so easily, let himself like someone he knew next to nothing of . . .

The Sheikah found himself distracted as he felt a presence nearby. He sheathed his sword, guessing straight away that it would be Link, ducking behind a tree to find his guess had been correct. Link was strolling past the very area where Sheik had been training, and for second felt an urge to stab him in the back. But then, he seemed pretty high on instincts too, the Hero of Time, so Sheik decided wisely not to kill him; besides, the Forest Sage wouldn't be too happy either.

But it intrigued him, suddenly. Where was Link going? What was he doing? Did he actually have something to do in the Forest?

Curious, Sheik followed.

Navi gave a worried whimper as she bobbed around Link's head.

Link sighed and shook his head, looking over to his fairy in a bored manner. "Navi, stop worrying. Sheik's fine, he passed the first prank, didn't he? The second one was nothing compared to the party."

He couldn't help but smirk, as he recalled the whole flood and the bubbles. He however cut the memories off before Sheik could get the chance to insult him. He was getting very good at forgetting what he wanted to forget. Very, very good at it in fact.

He was glad of it.

"But . . . but he seemed pretty mad . . ."

Link waved it off. "Don't worry. It was just some ink. You cracked up big time when it was the Know-it-all brothers? Why aren't you fussing about it like last time? You should've placed the ink further apart! It would've added more colour, you used to say. What's the matter?"

Genuine concern etched his face, plucking the blue orb from the air to let it rest on his palm. She was fluttering uneasily, and her glow was green. She only did that when she felt sick. "It's just that, I thought you might want proper company, you know? You've been cooped up for a while . . ."

He rolled his eyes. "I have not been cooped up. I like it here! And I visit Darunia a lot, don't I? And I give Epona night rides! She loves night rides; you know that?"

Navi turned from Green to blue, which was both a good and bad sign.

She said, "How long since you visited the desert for the Queen's Party?"

"Uhm . . ."

"When was the last time you went to Kakariko for a good shooting?"

"Yeah about that . . ."

"You haven't gone for a swim in Lake Hylia for ages."

"It's winter now . . ."

"There was a carnival in the Market place a couple of weeks ago."

"Hey. I went to the Carnival in Termina only a month ago!"

The glow suggested that Navi's gaze on him was flat and sadistic. "A month ago."

Link shifted his eyes to his sides before saying, "Well, I'm going to go see Skullkid now, aren't I?"

The way she did a small circle told him that she had just rolled her eyes. "You sure he won't shoot darts at you, after not seeing you for what seems like forever?"

"Navi, I think you should shut it."

"But really Link . . ."

"I said shut it!" he hissed, bobbling her up back into the air, "I think someone's following . . ."

He looked cautiously back and forth, left and right, making sure that he saw nobody. But the fact that his alarms in his head were going off meant that at least something was around, and perhaps had been for a while. It seemed to lurk where he could only catch fleeting feelings of his presence; whatever it was that was following him, it was smart.

Link began to walk, pretending he had noticed nothing, but still the fleeting feeling of a lurking presence was still there. Link began thinking of ways to escape, and then grinned.

"Race you there!" he said to his fairy, suddenly dashing.

She gave a yelp and followed, and the pursuing entity did the same. Link felt it all the more, the panic to stay near him, the curiosity of what he was doing. Link licked his lips as he turned a corner that led nowhere near the Skullkid, much to Navi's fury; he wanted to see who was following him. He turned a few bends before diving up a tree fairly easy to climb, just barely getting onto a branch and settling silently before the pursuer came into the clearing, looking around, wondering where Link had gone.

Link felt disgust turning his insides.

Sheik was there, scarf and all, looking incredulously around for his quarry that he had followed so closely only moments ago. Link wondered why Sheik would want to follow him, but decided he didn't want to know. If it had got something to do with his secret, he was in no mood to find out about it. Link slowly lifted himself onto his feet, balancing precariously on the branch. He then pressed a finger to his lips to request silence from his fairy companion, and went into moving around and slowly… slowly, step onto another branch and in means of escape.

Link froze and the leaves rustled, Sheik looked up distractedly, but still seemed to look around for any sign of someone hiding.

The Hero of Time gasped in panic, gingerly placing his hand on his hat, tugging at the twig that had hooked into a hole he had neglected fixing. He tugged urgently but carefully on the cap, hoping beyond all hope that it would un-snag and let him go.

However fate had different ideas.

Link gasped in total despair and panic when the Hat left his head. Panic made him take a hasty step into thin air, and as if in slow motion, Link felt himself drop, drop, drop…

A high shriek instead of a low yell escaped his lips as he dropped, spread eagled, back-long hair whipping in the wind as she fell down on the unsuspecting Sheikah.

Pain. Why did it like him so?

Sheik groaned as he felt the person that had landed on him hastily step off, and he looked up to meet frightened blue eyes and a mass of beautiful honeyed coloured hair.

Sheik decided he didn't mind the pain at all.

He brushed the grass off the front of his black shirt. "We meet again." He said, and hesitantly, Lynda nodded.

"What were you doing up there anyway?" Sheik asked as he stood, brushing grass off of his trousers, "Seems an odd place for a person to be in . . ."

Rage and fear snaked into Lynda's system. She wouldn't have been there in the first place if the bloody bastard hadn't followed her! And where the hell was Navi?

Sheik offered her a hand and said, "How's your leg? Has it been feeling better?"

Lynda looked at the hand that was offered to her as if it were a snake that may bite her any second. How did she know that he wouldn't do anything once he had her hand? But still, if she did not take it, he'd become suspicious. He wasn't stupid enough to see the connection between Link and her; with reluctance she grasped the hand and let herself be pulled up.

Sheik had not expected her to be so light; he pulled her hard enough to make her stumble, and briefly, their bodies touched.

Sheik stepped hastily away, averting his gaze rather sheepishly.

Lynda blinked, wondering what was wrong with him. His face (or the parts that Lynda could see) was a warm shade of pink, and he stubbornly avoided her gaze. After an awkward second Sheik gathered himself; he couldn't let a near insignificant touch get to him like that. He should've been used to those kinds of things by now, why did a girl he knew nothing of draw such impact from him?

Sheik cleared his throat and asked, "Um… so… you're going somewhere?"

Lynda nodded.

"I can escort you, if you like."

Lynda shook her head hard.

But a small voice said, "We'd love to."

Lynda snapped her face up to see a green orb of light fluttering in the air, buzzing and frenzying in what looked like nervousness or worry. Shit, Lynda thought, Navi's here! Sheik'll find out, he'll see the connection . . . !

Sheik batted an eyelid, and watched the fairy closely, but said ntohgin excpet, "So where were you going?"

The green fairy fluttered nervously and said, "We… we um… uh… we were going to, to, to the cliffs. You ride the wind there."

"You can actually ride the winds here?"

The fairy did an eccentric sort of bobbing, and Lynda had to stop her in case she really continued it for hours on end.

"So," Sheik said, gesturing with his hand, "Do you think you could lead the way?"

Lynda was not in a good mood.

She was no longer afraid—an improvement for sure—but she was very, very, displeased. She had not intended to come out in Sheik's view as Fern, or Lynda or… oh whatever! Navi wasn't supposed to have come out, she hadn't expected to fall out of a tree, and she hadn't intended to go to the cliffs with him—although that was where she and Skulkid had intended to meet. This was going all wrong. If only Navi had kept quiet, only if only…

They reached the cliff a little quicker than expected. And there was no sign of Skulkid, much to Lynda's dismay. She wanted someone near her that knew her, someone that would help her fight Sheik back if he did something weird.

In answer to her thought something very sharp and that looked like a long stick protruded from Sheik's shoulder, making him stagger backwards with a pained curse. More and more rained down, coming at one at a time and from different directions. Sheik dived in front of Lynda and put his hands in guard position, whacking the sticks away as they came down like angry hornets.

Navi sped up into the trees, sickly green with worry. She disappeared into the leaves as Sheik savagely pulled out the stick from his shoulder, blood oozing onto his black shirt.

Lynda sighed and extended a hand, her fingertips glowing as they hovered over his wound. She may not have liked him, but that did not mean that she wanted him hurt. It wasn't like he was an enemy. Just… a very inconvenient guest. Sheik felt a stinging as magic knitted his skin together, leaving a small indent of skin where he had been pierced.

He blinked, gingerly rubbing at the punctured skin that didn't hurt anymore. "Thanks."

She shook her head and waved a hand in dismissal as Navi came back from above the trees. And a split second later something black and red dropped down from the trees, and landed with a thud onto the grassy floor, glowing yellow eyes gleaming and a rather childish and ominous snicker coming from the scrawny figure.

For a second, Sheik thought that what he was seeing was a scarecrow, but then realised was another type of child of the forest, an Adopted One. Its body was composed of bone, its skin and flesh a tangible kind of shadow. Its scraggly clothing frayed and trailed everywhere, and the skeletal mask it wore expressed its scrawniness all the more.

Sheik not only found it creepy, but fascinating. He loved magic.

"Skulkid, this is Sheik." The fairy said, and Sheik nodded. The entity known as Skulkid puthis hand to his mask and lifted it as if to get a better view of the Sheikah. Its yellow glowing eyes, he realised, wasn't so ominous. It was more of a misunderstood glow, and it was round and innocent, with a hint of benevolence. It had no nose, it seemed, and its thick lips were open in an 'o', studying him intently. Then it smiled and snickered again before lowering his mask.

"Let's fly let's fly!" he said, dancing on the spot. Sheik felt himself be pushed to the side as Fern strode away from him, grinning happily as she reached Skulkid's side, sharing a complicated but practiced high-five with the spirit.

Sheik felt himself sulk a bit. Fern had never smiled around him like that.

But that thought disappeared as Fern turned back to him and waved him over, Skulkid already having taken a route towards a massive tree. Sheik followed, the green fairy bobbing up and down beside Fern's head. He looked over the cliff, and felt himself gulp.

It was so friggin' high it just wasn't funny.

He guessed he was facing south east, as he vaguely remembered that the whole field tilted upward towards the north, while it tilted down when it went south towards the lake. "You sure this is safe, Fern . . . ?"

He was answered by Skulkid, who said, "Scary makes fun. Try, try! Fly, let us, leaves will." And gave him a leaf that looked like a hybrid between flax and acorn leaf, which was big as himself.

"Um… thanks." He glanced at Fern, who was holding hers excitedly, grinning like mad. When she caught his gaze her grin turned a little smug. She ran towards him, past him, and with a sudden and carefree leap, jumped over the edge of the cliff.

Sheik panicked like he had never panicked before.

What the effing hell was she doing? Sheik's heart raced like mad as she saw her drop down further and further into the canopy of trees at the bottom of the cliff, not knowing what to do.

"Fly, fly!" Skulkid whooped, before plunging into space after her.

Sheik swore viciously. He looked around, found nothing that would inspire him, and jumped down also.

It was the stupidest thing he had ever done in his life.

As he fell, he saw far below, what Fern was doing. She was standing on the leaf she had been given, almost like a board, spinning in the wind that was blasting up the air rapidly towards him…

Sheik hopped on only a second before being too late.

The wind buffeted his ride upwards, and he had to strain his feet to his stay on. It swerved and rose as he tried to stay in control, the board twisting and jerking in the wind and pretty much doing it's best to fling him off the leaf. Adrenaline pumped through his blood and as his ride rocked him up and down, corkscrewing down and totally out of control.

Sheik was rather enjoying the experience.

He glanced down and to the side and saw that Fern was enjoying her time also. She squealed and laughed as Skulkid dived and bombed through the air, his body light and small enough to go on without a giant leaf.

They carried on, Fern doing tricks, Sheik copying them some well, others rather clumsily. The grin that she gave him every time he failed made him sheepish somewhat, but her grin had an intoxicating affect on him. He wanted to see that smile over and over and over again . . .

The ground was very quickly coming closer and closer, and with a sickening feeling the Sheikah realised that he didn't know how to land safely. He glanced desperately towards Fern and saw her fumbling with the ends of the leaf. He crouched low and did the same, and suddenly it clicked.

They jumped off at the same time.

Together they hung on to their rides like parachutes, swinging slowly down to the carpet of green.

Saria was absolutely furious.

All those years of being kept in the dark! Why had the Deku tree kept it such a big secret? Why hadn't the forest ever hinted about it? Sure, she had never asked, but what about all those nights when Lynda had sobbed herself to sleep, when she had wanted a mother, a father, or even a sibling? When Saria had had to listen silently, knowing that the pain Lynda had been going through was something she had wished to go through alone? The Forest Sage had prayed for the girl's family, had asked that if there were any relatives around, perhaps they could help her.

Saria stomped through the main room, emanating a power that only a strong emotion like rage could emit.

At this very moment Sheik strolled through the front door, looking rather happy. That is, until he saw the Forest Sage. "Um… are you okay?"

Sheik knew she was not okay, but decided it was worth asking, in case it was his imagination that was making him see the air around her shimmering with heat, or dangerous magic.

"Oh, I'll be fine, as soon as I get a good long chat with a certain old tree." Saria growled, softly, but somehow the magic around her magnified her voice, making it deep and threatening.

Sheik decided not to question her, due to the fact that with every step she took, Saria made plants grow. Small shoots of fern and bramble, ivy and rather exotic looking leaves sprouted where she laid her foot, but as soon as she left that particular piece of ground, the plants withered away instantaneously, leaving a trail of dead flora.

That was a powerful amount of energy that was for sure. And it didn't look too healthy either.

Saria went to the elevator and jumped on, going down to the Revolving room. She wrenched the door to the hallway and strutted inside, growling curses that were considered very, very rude in Kokiri standards. As she climbed the stairs she found herself running, fuelled by her tremendous anger.

She skidded to a stop in front of the black picture and screamed, "Show me the Deku tree!"

The picture shimmered like disturbed water. It then bloomed green leaves and blue dotted pieces of sky, and soon the young Deku sprout lay in the canvas, life like and in full size. The young but old tree smiled at the Forest Sage, seemingly unaware about the anger that was simmering the air around her.

"Oh! Hello, Saria! How's the majority of the Lost woods doing? I hope something bad hasn't happened, since, well, you are calling …"

"Deku Tree," Saria smiled pleasantly before letting her face contort in rage, "Why didn't you tell me Lynda had family?"

"I wonder what's up with her."

Sheik turned his head to see Link at the base of the stairs, gazing at the where the elevator had been rather quizzically. He was wearing a blue tunic, unlike the flaming red tunic from the morning. His hair was tussled as if it had fought the wind; his hat was firmly on his head, despite the fact that it looked as if it had been pecked by several birds before being sewed back to its health. His fairy Navi was nowhere in sight; probably tucked into his hat, sound asleep.

Sheik felt a growing sense of dread as he looked at the Hero of Time. Yet, it fit together all too well.

Sheik took a shaky breath and said, "Your leg's bleeding."

The reaction he got was what he had hoped wouldn't happen; Link grabbed at the leg he'd been limping on for a day or two, only to find his leggings clean of the red liquid. Link seemed to be shaking as he sighed, and turned his head around to smile and say, "You nearly got me there, Sheik. I do cut myself without realising."

"But you'd been limping for a day or two. Are you hurt?"

"It's… um… it's nothing."

"I guess you healed it by magic, right? Little glow at the hands and everything's good and dandy?"

"…No, actually, I had a red potion. That was all." Link hid his hands behind his back as he said this, a flicker of fear in his gaze.

"Hm. Right. Nice coloured tunic by the way. But red seemed to suit you more to me. Why did you get changed? Did something happen to it? Where were you anyway?"

After a hesitant second Link growled, "That's none of your business."

"Right. And…"

"Stop asking questions!" Link yelled as he stood, "It's my business in what I do throughout the day! Not yours!"

Sheik nodded. "Right again. But one can't help but wonder. And you know, come to think of it, I've never seen you without that hat. Why is that?"

Link took a careful step backwards, looking everywhere but at Sheik. His worry seemed to have agitated his companion too; Navi spun out of his hat in lazy circles, yawning softly before resting on his shoulder. "What's going on…?"

"Navi! Oh, I was just asking Link about his precious hat. You think you could tell me why it's so special?" Sheik asked in a fake friendly tone, and for a small near-insignificant glimpse, Sheik saw her turn a worried and nervous green.

"I told you not to ask questions!" Link yelled hoarsely, looking rather sick himself.

Sheik took several steps down the staircase, his heart hammering wildly. "I've been seeing this girl in the forest for a while. You know her?"

Sheik saw Link's muscles tense for a second, despite his nonchalant words. "Oh, you mean Fern? Oh I know her. Yeah, she was spared from becoming a Forest Child, and she's been staying in the forest for about a couple of months now. She visits sometimes. I once tried to heal a cut on her hand but she freaked when she saw magic. I guess you know by now that she's mute."

Sheik cocked an eyebrow. "She was squealing and laughing and whimpering and groaning today. She seems to have a lot of voice, despite her apparent muteness. Not to mention, she healed a wound in my shoulder with magic too, and she didn't look too afraid when she used it."

Sheik saw Link's muscles tense again. There was sweat forming on his nose.

"I… I guess the forest swapped her words with magic as a price for sparing her. Laughter isn't exactly words and she'd have to get over magic sooner or later…"

"Never knew the forest could be so generous." Sheik muttered bitterly, making Link growl in anger.

"You're an exception."

"Joy."

Link yelled in frustration and turned to stomp towards the back wall. Sheik felt his fear grow, and the suspicions with it. He was getting close. Very close. Just a few more pushes on the right buttons and then, perhaps Link will spill.

Or, he could go for the desperate Last Resort, and see how Link reacts to it.

"Lynda."

Link turned and growled, "What?"

A shocked silence followed when the Hero of Time registered to the fact that he had responded to a name that he had forbidden himself to respond to for the last three years. Sheik seemed shocked too. And before the prisoner could think up any other thing to say,

Link fled for his life.

Link sobbed softly in his sheets, biting his lip so hard that blood flowed onto his pillow. He realised he'd been crying a lot lately, and had tried to stop himself from doing so by torturing his bottom lip, but had made it bleed; now he blamed his tears on that particular pain.

How dare Sheik do this to him! How dare he let him be attracted to his presence as a woman, as Fern, as Lynda, as… who the friggin' hell was he? He was supposed to be the Hero of Time, strong and brave and out in the world! Why was he holed up in the Forest, frightened of a single touch by a man, crying into his pillow? Who was he? What was he? What was he supposed to do?

Despite himself Link saw in his mind Sheik's excitement at riding the wind, heard the triumph in his laughs as he mastered a trick or two, as they dived down the cliff over and over again. He saw his beautiful red eyes shine brightly as the wind caused tears to develop at the corner of his eyes, saw his long scarf whipping at the air above him like some majestic banner as he sailed down splendidly with a grace of a fierce lion.

Why was he remembering the bloody Sheikah damn it?

Link took deep harsh breaths between his sobbing, trying to calm himself. There was no point being angry, no point in crying either. He needed sleep; it was late in the night, and the moon was high up. He would get Sheik back for frightening him so in the morning. Link would stop at nothing to get his revenge, and it would not be harmless like his usual pranks.

He stopped sobbing later, but not out of exhaustion but of cold, clammy fear that sent shivers down his spine as he heard not deep sobs of a man, but trembling wailing of a woman.

Lynda began to cry harder as she acknowledged the warm sticky liquid in-between her legs, and the lost magic of the Hat. She was stuck for two and a half days in that body, and Sheik was still in the premises; she had failed to kick him out in time.

Navi gently nudged her blonde tresses comfortingly, saying, "You should get cleaned up, before Sheik wakes."

Lynda had wordlessly nodded, wiping her wet face as she reached for her towel.

She would go to the smoking swamp, where the liquid smelt of rotten eggs, but was warm and cleansing and good for her. The best thing was that Sheik would not go there for many reasons on end. He wouldn't be there… would he?

Hello, fellow readers! I just wanted to say thank you for your patience in reading this story, and and the patience you had most likely required to read these got awefully long chapters. I'm really sorry about them, but yeah. I'll try to shorten them next time. If it makes you fell any better, this one, I shortened by two pages. Two.

I'd also like to thank the eleven people who put this on their alert list, and the ten people who have put me on their favourites, if I already haven't thanked them through PMing (I believe one or two of the authors who were kind enough to put me on their favourites or alerts hadn't activated Private messaging . . . ).

Anyway, if you've read this far, please review. I'd like to see your comments. I don't mind flames at all, so go ahead and flame me if you want. It's good, constructive criticism, I say! Anyway, yeah. Thanks again!

I love saying thank you.

THANK YOU!

XD

S.S.