Under Pressure

Sheik sighed miserably, shaking his head to and fro. He felt sick at the experiment he had done, and was now regretting it greatly, not knowing what to do. So, the Hero of Time was Fern? And in turn, Fern was…

Sheik looked up at the stars from the crumbling stairs above his camp, twinkling indifferently at his dilemma. He needed someone to talk to. He never really did, since his life had been so simple when it came to social events. Meet the target, get information, can't do it, trick them into it, and disappear before they thought of what exactly they had said. But now… he didn't know what to do.

Sheik found himself desperate enough to pray.

"Are you feeling alright?"

Sheik jumped when he saw the Sage sitting right next to him.

He passed his hand through his hair agitatedly, disturbed and disoriented. "No. I… I'm lost. Not physically, but mentally. I think I'm loosing my mind." Sheik added with a small snicker, wishing for a second he really was loosing his mind.

Saria frowned and looked toward her knees. "I talked to Zelda. She didn't seem happy about it—almost like she hadn't expected it, really—but she told me about why you're here, and… about the Lost Princess."

"Is it Link?" Sheik asked with dread, feeling his blood run cold at the possibility.

"…Yeah." Saria admitted, her eyes going teary, "How'd you guess?"

Sheik scoffed bitterly, putting his face to his hands to groan. "The girl I was seeing… that was her. She pretended to be mute, but she wasn't good at it. And I… I saw the connection between Link and Lynda. The names are similar, they looked similar, they…" Sheik sighed mournfully, holding his head as a faint pain grew behind his temples. "It was too fishy to ignore. I kind of threw the fact in his face, and he ran."

Saria's heart began to bleed slowly as she thought of what Lynda would be going through now. And with the time of the month in store, there were bound to be things that Lynda wouldn't want to happen. "How bad is the Queen?" Saria asked, worry gnawing at her gut.

Sheik shrugged and said, "A couple of weeks and she's good as dead, I suppose."

Saria snarled. "Can't you be a little sympathetic? This is Lynda's mother we're talking about here."

The Sheikah scoffed softly, sneering. "Oh, I liked her least in the Royal Family, I assure you. I don't think you'll be getting good notes about her from me, that's for sure." he shrugged.

"If they're so horrible, what do they want with her?" Saria demanded angrily, standing up and stomping her foot, "Why would they want her back now, when they had their chance to do that for the last ten years! And more!"

Sheik shrugged again. "That's what I wanted to know. Maybe the Queen was scared of the King, so couldn't request the search. Perhaps the King wanted to make up to the Queen by bringing back her daughter for being a bad husband before she died. Maybe Zelda asked too many questions about it, found out, and threatened to spill to the citizens. There're plenty of possibilities."

Saria looked confused and angry at the same time. "Spill to the citizens about what?"

Sheik smirked. "Did you know that Lynda was nearly taken to the Gerudo as a substitute to a Spiritual Stone?"

Saria's blood ran cold.

"The Queen didn't want that to happen so she rode a horse through a fight between the Gorons and Zoras—the Hylians were making the Spiritual Stones at that time—and came here so her little Princess could live on and come back to her. It'd be quite touching if she'd actually bothered to come back and find her, huh?"

Saria's scowl was deep and hateful. "If you're making fun of Lynda…"

"I'm not. It's the King, Queen, and Zelda I'm insulting. Never Lynda." Sheik said, sincere with his words.

Saria sat back down, swinging her legs and considering what was happening around her. "So, are you going to take her with you?"

"…I don't know. I really can't since I'm still stuck here, and she doesn't seem to want to go anywhere… I… I just don't know."

Sheik blinked and laughed a bit, falling back onto the grass to say, "I don't think I'll be sure of anything from now on too. I mean, come on. A Hero really a Heroine, the heroine really a Princess, the Princess in fact a Prince! Joy."

Saria bit her lip in great worry, now so uncertain on what to do that it was frightening. Was this what Lynda felt like when she was a woman? When she didn't know of what to do? Now Saria couldn't blame her for being so obstinate. But still, it was unhealthy to live off magic for the rest of your life. She was making a big mistake, she had to be. If only there was some way to prove it…

It clicked.

"Sheik. I want you to take her to the Castle."

The said Sheikah blinked and asked, "Are you sure, or are you not in your right mind?"

Saria scowled a bit before saying, "Lynda's unstable. Staying here to 'calm down' isn't helping. She needs help, Sheik. And she can get help only from outside. She needs people to tell her that she's better off as a girl, and not so as a boy! She needs to realise that the Hat's not good for her; at least not anymore. She has to learn to live without it, and have to learn to talk to people besides me. I think you're her stepping stone. Won't you help her for me?"

Sheik thought a moment, and said, "Sure. I'll do it. But I'm going to have to explain my whole plan before I do it, so… here goes."

She washed her tears away, hoping that her troubles would go away with them. She stepped out of the hot waterfall and grabbed her towel, wrapping it securely around her midsection for warmth's sake. The wind was cool against her bare skin, and the fact that her hair was plastered to her head, neck and back was not comforting either. The only comfort she found in the dark night was her fairy companion, buzzing around her head busily.

"You want anything down from the branches Lynda? How do you feel, Lynda? Oh Lynda what are you going to do? I can chase off Sheik if you like? You want to go to the Lake and see Ruto? Maybe we could…"

"Navi, please… just… be quiet." Lynda sighed, squatting down to the ground to pick up her clothes, which was a red skirt reserved just for this time, and a button shirt that did not accent her chest too much. "I don't know what to do. I don't know who I am; especially in this body. So could you… please stop calling me Lynda?"

There was a sad silence when Navi muttered, "That's who you are. Lynda."

"Is it really?" Lynda scoffed with disdain, pulling her shirt around her shoulders, "Does anyone really give a damn whether I'm Lynda or not? Does anyone give a…"

"I care!" Navi yelled furiously, glinting yellow, "I give a damn if you're Lynda or not! I know that you're supposed to be a girl! I…"

"I don't want to be a girl!" Lynda yelled back, "I want to be Link! I want to be the Hero of Time, who knows no fear or shame, who wields the Master of all Blades and saved the country with ease and grace! A girl can't do that Navi!"

"Yes, a girl could bloody well do that!" She yelled back, a tinge of red now mixed into her menacing yellow, "You did that! You! You may have done it all with the hat on, but it was you who did it! A girl!"

"I am not a girl! I refuse to be one after…"

The sound of beating wings brought them a welcome distraction from their fight. Mighty gusts of air were pushed away from graceful feathers, and wise, big brown eyes looked upon the two with severe interest, concern, but most of all, fondness that came with friendship. Lynda smiled and said, "Hi, Gabs."

The owl laughed and said, "Must you insist on calling me by that name?"

The Hylian tiredly shrugged before beginning to wring her hair. "Kaepora Gaebora is rather a long and tedious name, you know. 'Gabs' is so much shorter."

The owl hooted in laughter, and ruffled his feathers in amusement. "Well, I'm glad you are rather well, despite that quarrel I seem to have caught you in."

Lynda did not blush. Something was niggling at the back of her head. "Gaebora, why are you here? Your visits are usually after I'm in this… this state. What's up with the early greeting? Has something happened in Hyrule?"

Gaebora shrugged his strong shoulders. "Nothing too new has happened in Hyrule, except something in Hyrule Castle Town. The King made a public announcement; something about a lost Princess."

Lynda blinked her eyes and said, "What?"

"The King has spoken of a lost daughter, sent to the east to protect her from the war that had been happening nearly eighteen years ago. The Queen of Hyrule is dieing, so as her wish upon the death-bed, she has chosen to see her daughter once more. Oh, and Zelda is on the verge of getting engaged."

"…Wow. This is just the job for the Hero of Time! This princess may actually be nice or something! Oh, thank you so much for coming early just to tell us, Gabs! Isn't this great, Navi? We've got ourselves a harmless adventure!"

The fairy grumbled, "Yeah, sure, fabulous."

Gaebora cocked his head to the side in a ninety degree angle, looking confused. "Didn't you call me to come early?"

Lynda stopped her celebrating, now baffled herself. "No. I didn't call you. I don't even know how to do that."

The owl's brows lowered to make a feathery frown before saying, "I heard a call of my brethren. It was strange that it came from the forest, since we usually live near the cliffs, so I thought it was you. It could possibly a misled stray but…"

"That was me."

Lynda turned around and saw Sheik in the shadow of a willow tree, his eyes glinting in the moonlight.

"Ah, a Sheikah. That explains it." Gaebora said, un-cocking his head, "And none other than the famous Savir! How are you doing this night?"

Lynda blinked. She had almost forgotten that Sheik was not his real name. He shrugged and smiled softly. "Mostly in shock, actually. Just found out who the Lost Princess is."

Lynda's jaw dropped in shock and indignation. "That was my quest, you…"

"How can you go on a quest looking for yourself, Lynda?"

Lynda blinked.

"It's how I know your name." Sheik said, stepping out of the shadows, "I was sent here on several missions, given to me by different people. Find the Hero of Time, and convince him not to fight for the King, and Find the Lost Princess. The Princess you know of—Zelda—her name means 'Woman Warrior'. It was only fitting to name her younger twin 'Healer'. As in Lynda. As in You."

The girl blinked. Blinked again, and laughed. "Okay, now you're just plain crazy. Me? Royalty? That's stupid."

Sheik smiled slightly. "It seems that way, doesn't it. But have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? You look like her. Zelda I mean. And you've got your mother in you too. The Queen. Only healthier."

And much more beautiful too…

Lynda gulped and shook her head, taking a shaky step back. "No… no that… that can't be right! I… my parents are dead! Why would you know what my mother looked like? Why would you know? They're dead!"

Sheik sighed and said, "I think the Deku Tree wanted you to assume you didn't have parents to make you feel more like a Kokiri or something. Perhaps he intended to tell you, but didn't get the chance. I don't know the whole story, but that's how I see it. And the King and Queen are not dead. The Queen's very close, but nonetheless, they're alive."

Lynda took another step backwards, shaking her head to and fro. This could not be happening. She belonged to the Forest. She may have been Hylian, but she still belonged to the Forest! Why was everybody so determined to ruin her life? She took another step backward, and another and another, until Sheik said, "Please, don't run. I don't intend to hurt you, and didn't have that intention since I came here. I only want your help, and I want to offer you a deal."

He had to be joking. Making a deal with him had to be like making a deal with Ganondorf or something! But Lynda gulped before saying, "What kind of deal…?"

Sheik agitatedly passed his hand through his hair, looking towards the grass at his feet. "Am I right to assume that the hat changes your gender?"

Lynda hesitantly nodded.

"I want you to come to my tribe with me. They're going to be the first to attack the Hylians, and I don't want any of my friends to die. So we… devised a plan to take the Princess hostage, and trade her with Peace."

Rage was the first thing she felt. "So that's what I am to you? A trophy!?" Lynda hissed, hatred in her eyes, "If that's the case, I'm not interested. What do you think I am!?"

"Nothing," he calmly replied, "But if you're entertaining the thought that I like doing this job, drop it. As far as I can see you're just a girl. But, as far as appearences go, you're definitely royalty."

He took a shaky breath and looked at Lynda directly before, to her astonishment, he kneeled and bowed his head to her. "Princess Lynda. Please, come with me to my tribe and help me bring at least an amount of peace between my people and yours. I'll know everything you'd need to know for Castle life. I want you to live through it as Lynda, and if you don't like it, you can turn back to the Hero of Time. That's the deal." He lifted his head and said, "You will have my protection, my guidance, and my knowledge at your disposal for as long as you are Lynda Harkinian. I just want what's best for my friends. And… and you."

Lynda was hesitant when she said, "So… I can turn male permanently, if I wanted to?"

Sheik stood and nodded. "If there's a time limit in which you have to choose between the two genders, I'd prefer it if you permanently stayed a girl for that time being. Then after that, the choice is yours."

"But… the Forest… Saria…"

"She consulted me. She just found out about you being related to Zelda, so she asked me some questions. She seemed pretty mad about not knowing as well."

She glanced at Gaebora for assistance, and he shrugged. "You seemed rather bored of your lifestyle here; why not give yourself a change of pace? It could be interesting."

"But… but this is my home! I… I don't want to leave!"

"Then don't." Sheik said, "Consider the stay in the Castle as… a change of pace, as Gaebora puts it. You don't have to claim the Castle as your new home. Just a temporary shelter, if you will. Look, I know this is a lot to ask, but … I need your help."

Lynda grumbled and shuffled her feet, giving Navi a disgruntled glance. The fairy didn't look upset or pleased, moreover neutral and giving her the space to make the choice. The girl looked at the Sheikah distrustfully. "No one would come to the forest once I leave?"

"Yes."

"I can choose if I want to be male or not?"

"Yes."

"Nobody's going to make me do what I don't want to do?"

Sheik licked his lips. "That's… hard. You'll have to do things as duty to your title, and depending on whether you like them… it's a yes and no."

There was a silence where Lynda thought it over sullenly, and Sheik waited, patient but getting more nervous by the second. The moonlight was casting luminous shadows onto her wet hair, her face was washed with the nightly glow, her skin sparkled from drops of water, and her presence itself was driving him insane. She was officially the Princess if she said she'd come! He had to get her out of his mind; now!

Lynda growled and said, "Fine. I'll go. But only to get you out of Saria's Temple."

Sheik bowed, willing his heart to turn cold, as he always did around nobles. She was noble now, and she was nothing more than a pawn for his peoples' peace.

His heart made one last desperate protest, screaming that this was not true, that Lynda was good, and she was not a pawn, before his mind completely sealed it off with a thick layer of bitter ice and hard metal. "As you wish, your majesty."

Lynda already felt uncomfortable with the title. "I hate you."

He only raised himself from his bow and 'hmph'ed.

Dacha felt sick as her hand held her daggers.

If Sheik didn't come back in another two days, they would have to fight. They would have to put a siege against the Castle, and sacrifice their lives. It wasn't that Dacha didn't want to fight or anything; she loved her people, her history, and her heritage. The Hylians were getting in the way of claiming it, and that was why their people fought.

It was just that she didn't want to die.

She didn't have the power Sheik possessed in his fighting, his magic, and his studies. He was a great asset in the war, and they needed him. If only he would come back, Princess or no, to fight with them. If only he would come and save them all…

"(Hey Dash. You miss me?)"

His magic would aid them greatly, and so would his prowess in the fighting arts…

"(Um… Dacha? Earth to Dacha? Hello?)"

"(What!?)" Dacha snapped, facing the intruder, daggers forgotten, "(I'm trying to brood here, so leave me alone you pee-brained numbskull!)"

It was only then that she realised who she was talking to.

The man shrugged and turned, lifting the canvas to let himself out of the tent, "(Well okay then, only came to say I'm back, like you made me promise before I left, so, yeah, I'll go see the chief now.)"

"(Wait!)"

The man laughed as he got tackled by Dacha, laughing and squealing at his arrival. Once he was able to pry her off she hugged him, relishing in the moment of seeing a long missed friend. The man snickered as he pushed her away gently, flicking her forehead impishly. "(It's good to see you, Dacha.)"

The girl sulkily rubbed at her sore forehead. "(I was about to say the same to you until you did that, Savir. And what the hell took you so long?)"

The Sheikah winked fondly before he let an apologetic gaze cross his eyes. "(Deepest apologies. Couldn't resist. And please call me Sheik around her, won't you?)"

Dacha raised an inquisitive eyebrow before looking around him, eyeing the stranger a couple of metres off with scrutiny. A woman? What was Savir doing with a woman? The suspicion rose until Dacha noticed the blonde locks of hair and the clear blue eyes that she saw in the infamous Princess Zelda.

"No…" she whispered, hardly believing her eyes. Yet here she was, standing idly and uncomfortably in the midst of tents, fidgeting with her skirt. Dacha pushed Savir to the side and marched over to the Hylian, glaring at her. The stranger jerked to attention and looked to the sides uncomfortably as she came closer and closer, glaring daggers at the girl. Could it be…?

"Are you by chance…" Dacha began to ask, until Savir interrupted her.

"Dacha, meet Lynda. Lost Princess."

The blue-eyed girl blinked, looked down at the drying grass, and stepped one pace back.

Dacha blinked also, before turning to her friend. "(Wasn't she supposed to be unconscious when she got here?)" She asked in Sheikah.

Sheik shrugged. "(She came willingly. I explained my plan to her, said she was fine with it, and so, here we are. Aren't you happy?)"

"(Of course I'm happy! I'm thrilled! Wait till the Chief hears about this; he'll be absolutely devastated. You don't know how ready he was to kick Hylian ass. You couldn't have cut the deadline any closer, you know that?)"

Sheik frowned. "(Dacha, I've been away for only four days.)"

Dacha blinked. "(No, you've been away for four weeks. What's wrong, something hit you in the head or something?)"

He paused a second before frowning at nothing, a calculating look in his eye. He must have struck home by the look on his gaze, and he let out an involuntary shiver. He smiled tiredly and only said, "(Rotten luck.)"

Dacha was about to ask what he was talking about, but found herslef displeased to be interrupted by the Princess. She growled and spat, "What?"

The girl was hesitant, and she gave a quick gulp before saying, "Could you not talk in Sheikah? I… I don't understand."

Dacha scowled and said, "That was the point, duh?"

To her surprise Lynda growled, her hold on her backpack tightening in what could've been rage or worry. "I didn't come here to be yelled at you got that pal? I'm very keen to leave, if you don't mind. I want to go back to the Forest!"

She blinked and looked back at Sheik, saying, "(Savir, you have brought in one weird specimen. You sure this is the right one?)"

Sheik scowled as Lynda looked at him desperately. "Be nice and speak in Hylian, Dacha. This is the Princess we're talking about."

The said girl scoffed and idly followed her friend to the fidgety Princess, who reluctantly but gratefully got into step with him. Dacha sighed softly and stepped next to the nervous girl, extending a hand. "Dacha Velox. Nice to meet you."

Lynda blushed and stepped away, her hands gripping tighter on the strings of her bag. Sheik stepped around and grabbed Dacha's arm firmly before she did anything rash. "(Look. The Princess is rather touchy when it comes to physical contact. She's dead scared of it. I tried to heal her after a fight with Stalfos and she freaked. So don't be bothered about it, you hear?)"

Dacha grumbled something incoherent before snatching her limb away, cursing. Sheik sighed and shook his head, bringing his attention back to Lynda. She stood rigid, her hands clasped tightly on each other, blushing furiously. "I'm sorry."

Sheik took a step closer to her as he shook his head again. "No need. I know it's hard to get used to all this, but I'm truly grateful for what you're doing. Look, we're going to the Chief's tent now. You want to come, or do you want to explore? You're choice."

Lynda looked around, seeing the tents, so colourful and beautiful, demanding her to explore. She saw the fires and the strange half-wild birds and animals, playing near the bright flames and the exotic smelling pots. She'd glimpsed into the armoury tent, and had seen the many strange knives and daggers, and wanted to see them all the more.

She looked around again and saw the many people that bustled about, mainly warriors. The gruff looking men with the occasional scars, the stern looking women that reminded her of Impa, the perky looking ones like Dacha, and the many young, athletics boys like Sheik.

"Can… Can I come? I… want to see the chief."

Lynda waited outside, scuffing the ground with her boot. She wasn't mad; why should she be? It was only right for her to wait outside while the Chief and Sheik discussed what she was going to do while Sheik went to the castle and acted out the whole scenario of being attacked and all that riff-raff. It was just the fact of being somewhere so lacking of life a little frightening.

There was only grass around her. There were no trees to climb, no bushes to hide behind to watch a family of red fox chasing after a bird of prey. There were no Tailed fireflies that had often hung around the Lost Woods and the Kokiri forest, looking like fairies wearing long gowns of wet and beautiful cobwebs. She already missed the green light of the forest, the misty brilliance the sheet of green overhead had brought. She missed the solitude especially; reminded of how isolated the forest had been with the occasional glance given towards her, the murmurs that followed her sighting, and the snickers that travelled towards her.

"Hey."

Lynda gave a yelp and backed away, much to Sheik's disappointment.

"You're safe here you know."

Lynda looked uncertain, but gave a nod. Sheik sighed and said, "The Chief's ready to see you. You want to come?"

Lynda looked out at the sky—so blue and bare and blank—before nodding again and stepped inside, bag still clutched tightly in her arms.

The room was dimly lit with a yellow-brown glow, due to the shade of canvas and its intricate patterns. The dust flew and caught the glint of sunshine, reminding her pleasantly of the forest. The carpet she stood on was made of animal skin, soft and silver. There was a tray of food, and Lynda wondered whether it was for her, but decided not to touch it. The man in front of her looked as if he didn't really like her much.

The Chief was rather old and tanned, giving him an impression that he came from the desert. He wore to her interest a strange sort of clothing, a fold-over jerkin that went down to his knees, tied at the waist with string. He wore baggy leggings underneath with weird looking designs, and she found herself staring at them, following the dotted and twisting lines.

She was coughed out of her reverie.

She looked up at Sheik, who had been the one who had coughed, and he gestured towards the old man, and said, "Lynda, this is Ratheran Tzajem. Leader of the Tribe of Tears, and head of the attacking armies."

He then turned to the Chief and said, "Sthe allëz Lyndar, Ruyel Tórar."

The chief opened his mouth and a torrent of Sheikah left him for the air, husky and ruff but strangely kind.

His speech stopped; Sheik nodded and said, "Your support is appreciated. We will be happy to look after you until I come back with the castle guards, and he hopes that you will enjoy your stay here. You can also sit down."

Lynda blushed and nodded before sitting down, crossing her legs and hugging her belongings like a life-line. The chief frowned and said slowly, "Te wäj nú to panezér nÿthizèro sithìníz lik rügnar le shóri botü pan de Savir."

The severity of the Chief's tone made Lynda quiver. And the fact that Sheik looked rather grim was not helping either. "Sheik, um… what did he just say? Word for word?"

He hesitated before saying, "He said: You better not be planning something fishy like telling the castle about Savir's plan. Word for word."

Lynda shook her head severely, and said nothing. The Chief frowned ominously and extended a hand, palm up. On it were several scars. No, millions of scars. All small pin-pricks coiling in a spiral from the middle of his palm and curling out, like a galaxy of star-like scratches.

Sheik, noticing her confused look, began to explain, "They're Markings of Faith. When you swear to do something, or not to do something, you make the contract permanent by marking your palm like that. With a knife, if I might add."

Lynda looked at the markings with undisguised interest. Damn, it must have hurt to have kept so many promises… "So, you want me to do that to myself, in case I break my promise and spill the beans to Zelda and stuff?"

Sheik shrugged and said, "Pretty much."

Lynda looked at Sheik, then at the Chief and took a long, slow breath. "Okey-dokes. I'll do it."

Obviously the two men were taken aback by such a blatant and nonchalant reply. "Um… Lynda. You do realise that once you've done what the Chief's done, the effects are permanent."

She did not listen to him.

"Lyn. You break the promise after you've sealed the contract, you die."

"Well, that's good to know." Lynda replied, her voice much more comfortable, "Not much point of making that sort of contract if it doesn't work, and not to mention I won't have to worry about it since I don't intend to tell anybody or anything… And since when are you calling me 'Lyn'?"

She was interrupted by the Chief's burst of husky laughter, making her jump. She glanced at Sheik, who groaned and dropped his head onto his hands.

"You're one feisty gall, aren't ye?"

Lynda's mouth dropped. "Um… uh… what the…?"

"It's what he does." Sheik groaned, sighing mournfully, "Whenever he has visitors, he pretends he can't understand. See how people act around them, you know? Oh don't look so surprised; you did that to me too, you know."

Lynda blushed and looked down.

"Eh, naw need ta worry, lass. I can see you're a sort that stays true. Good, good. You'll be happee to stay, won't ye?"

Lynda clutched at her bag for reassurance and said, "Yeah, that would be nice."

Sheik did not miss the soft quiver of her voice.

Dacha tapped her foot non-stop for two and a half seconds before demanding what the Princess was doing. Sheik stretched and said, "Sleeping."

The girl scoffed.

"Hey, be nice. She didn't get a wink of sleep last night saying goodbye to her friends, and before nightfall she happened to get a shock by finding out that she's royalty. Give her a break."

Dacha cocked an eyebrow this time. "Wasn't she supposed to know that she was royalty, since like, she was adopted in the east?"

Sheik shrugged. "'Supposed to' are the key words. You know where I could get a good fight? I need one for the whole 'sorry got the princess kidnapped by a load of Sheikah because they didn't know I was one of them and I was ambushed five to one' story. Where're Fedál? Or Ganesh, even. I've got several bones to pick with them."

Sheik cracked his knuckles, much to Dacha's uneasiness. She put a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. This only unnerved her further. He never did that.

"Sheik, those two ganged up, and so did the rest of their friends. That makes it…"

"Seven to one. Better odds." He growled mercilessly, cracking the bones in his shoulder in anticipation. Pent up frustration from the past Castle events, the missions he had had to go through before, and the whole problem with trying to get the damn Princess out of his head boiled in his chest.

The two left the group of tents and entered the 'clearing', where the seven they had mentioned before were lounging about, flicking their daggers and knives about in anticipation of the war. When they turned, they were disappointed to see Sheik, since that meant that the war they had been waiting for was on at least a hold, if not a permanent cancel.

But no matter; they had him to pick on at least.

Dacha saw the building tension and grabbed at Sheik's arm, trying to pull him away. "Savir, they're not worth it! You could beat them any day please don't jump for it…!"

Sheik threw his arm away from her grip when the black haired, freckled, Ganesh called, "Hey! Castle whore! You gonna go after Dacha next?"

The frustration doubled with the remark, and Sheik's rational morals snapped under the pressure of rage. Purple fire erupted from Sheik's claws as he charged into the armed teenagers like a mad bull, his eyes red as fresh blood. Magic, metal and bare hands fought for dominance in the one to seven match of carnage, and all Dacha could do was watch.