A/N: Just a heads up: this is a slash fic, which centres around Link and a male Sheik, who is his own separate character. It takes place after Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.

All rights go to Nintendo.

That afternoon, an eagle perched itself upon his windowsill.

Far from a welcome sight, Link had grown to despise the tremendous bird and its razor-sharp talons. Its prehistoric feet dug into the warped hardwood, with one of the limbs adorned with a tiny scroll of parchment. Amidst concocting a breakfast made up of nothing but green vegetation, Link reluctantly ceased in the task to tend to the bird. He gazed at the eagle sternly, manoeuvring his hands gently to undo the scroll.

"You know," he muttered to the eagle and its perpetually displeased look, "I'm beginning to regret agreeing to this whole letter thing."

The eagle tilted its head, beady yellow eyes having yet to blink. No, Link wasn't insane to speak to an animal. He knew solitude and treasured it. And it would take more than that to make him lose his mind.

"I bet you're getting sick of flying down here every other day."

It appeared as a feathered statue. Link rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the scroll.

He wasn't the most eloquent. It would take him moments to decipher a single sentence stringed together by any ordinary person. It took him much longer to understand the regal nonsense that came at the end of the princess's quill.

"Con-vale-scence?" he childishly sounded out. His eyebrows furrowed themselves.

Yellow eyes merely continued glaring at him, almost as if the bird was capable of feeling secondhand embarrassment.

Link didn't fault himself. He was utterly hopeless when it came to reading and writing. But he found no need to wield a pen when he could do so with a sword with far more grace. Penmanship didn't thwart an evil king and stop an unsightly planet from descending onto a town. And he had his little cabin in the Lost Woods to prove it. Stowed safely in chests and lockers were trinkets he had collected during his journey.

Some were gifts, others were spoils from battle. Some made him feel pride swell within his chest. Others made him wish he had the courage to burn the entire dwelling to the ground.

The paper held little sense to him. He skimmed across two particular words, 'Impa' and 'sick', and came upon the conclusion that the nursemaid was ill. However, he simply could not understand the severity of her illness. He wished the princess would have used vocabulary that was more trivial.

And though she had written to him countless times before, notifying him of banquets and celebrations in vain attempts to get him to visit the castle, Link never felt inclined to do so until today. After seeing the stoic, feathery messenger off, he hurriedly tamed his appearance. The populace could not know that their revered hero was a woodsman, who reeked of grass and dirt and walked around in a tunic torn of sleeves. They could not know he had a weakness - a disastrous flaw that hindered his ability for any more heroics.

He knew pain well. It scarred his arm heavily and left him wondering if nerves could ever meet again and heal themselves. But as long as it responded to his commands, there was no use in complaining.

After donning a faded, long-sleeve tunic and lazily tucking his trousers into weathered boots, he left his home without bothering to lock his door or shut his windows. He would never return to find it burglarised. Perhaps a wandering butterfly or moth would slip in, but never an unwanted guest. The Lost Woods were off-limits to most for a reason. Parents frightened their children with tales of yellow-eyed counterparts. Link found skull kids to be rather adorable.

"You wanna play?" The skull kid circled Link. Its voice was akin to a child, though its intentions were macabre. With a stubby finger, he prodded Link's side. "Tag! You're it!"

Link kept to the trail. He knew the forest and all its twists and turns. He knew its occupants even better. "We've been through this before," he said to the child. "I'm the guy with the mask, remember?"

The skull kid's eerie gaze brightened. "Mr. Mask!" it said with a grin. "Okay, become a Deku again. Then we'll play tag."

The thick foliage and treetops obscured the outside world entirely. Birds crooned their melodies and the faint gushing of streams, rivers and creeks created serenity impossible to find beyond the Lost Woods. Link smiled to himself. "I'll be back soon. We'll play then."

The child stopped, watching the tall recluse leave the sacred grounds.

A simpler part of Link longed to forever stay in the Lost Woods. He much preferred the company of forest-dwelling creatures than those the rest of Hyrule offered. The forest was innocent, untouched by the turmoil Ganondorf had sowed. It brought him peace he had not felt since he was a child.

Link became tense the moment he stepped out of its green density to find himself upon vast, open plains of windswept grass. The only noise came from faint gusts of wind and nothing else. A pink sky overhead reminded him of how early in the morning it was. He opted to ignore his timid awe and continue moving, hoping to avoid the morning stampedes in Castle Town. In his months of absence, he had not missed the sheer restlessness of the capital, and how its post-war self had begun to flourish and attract people from all across Hyrule.

The castle appeared as imposing as ever, clearly visible over the walls. Once, it was an ugly dark stronghold that housed a tyrant of equal hideousness. Now, its white bricks and tall spires appeared as a symbol of hope and resilience. Noblemen living in exile flocked back to its elegant hallways, free to gouge themselves now that the Gerudo king no longer existed in their realm.

Did he blame them for hiding?

No.

But it did upset him that so many of them lived through the war. Many of their subjects were not so fortunate.

Castle Town had changed drastically since Link's last visit. For one, no longer did half the town exist in ruins. Traders erected their stalls and laid out their wares for viewing. Scents of freshly baked bread wavered through the air and the relative quietness of the streets created a serene atmosphere exquisitely rare in a place like Castle Town. Though he wasn't there to admire the town Zelda had rebuilt. No, he was here at her request. His topmost priority was locating Impa.

A flip of the visor brought Link face-to-face with a middle-aged, pallid guard. "Sir Hero?" The title was laughable. Link watched his ratty face twist into a smile. "Where have you been all this time?"

A quick gesture to the guardpost, and the gates to the castle opened with a tremendous groan of brass and steel.

Link said, "Gathering my thoughts." And in a way, it was the truth. No longer was he anything but a saviour.

The guard nodded understandingly. "Of course," he said solemnly. His face quickly lit up, dispelling all previous signs of seriousness. "Say, is it true that you're searching for a squire?"

The gate opened entirely. Link found himself incapable of moving. He stared deeply at the guard.

"Squire?" he said, breaking into a grin. "Who told you such a thing?"

A steel hand sheepishly rubbed at the back of a neck. "Oh, it's just a tiny rumour going around," he said. "But if you ever find yourself in need of a Hero Junior, my son's at the top of his class in the cadet program. He can carry your swords and bags and-"

"Please, I have no need for your son," Link said, cheeks flush. "I'm not looking for a squire, nor do I ever see myself in need of one."

The guard nodded. "Whatever you say, Sir Hero." He stepped to the side, chest puffed out and his spear by his side. Link entered the castle thereafter, and what an experience it was.

He recalled it as a barren, evil landscape with barred windows and air so cold it turned his breaths into mists. Now, it existed as the epitome of luxury. It was spacious. And so unnaturally spotless. Guards lingered at every corner, becoming a sight almost as common as a hardworking maidservant dusting a corner or floor. It was so grandiose that it made him feel light-headed. The castle was built of mahogany and stone and all sorts of fine materials. It had been renovated drastically since the last time he visited.

However, he wasn't interested in sightseeing. He located the nearest maidservant and she gladly pointed him in the right direction.

"Lady Impa chose to stay in her room rather than the infirmary," the black-and-white-clad maid said bleakly. "She isn't feeling so well. I was told they would be expecting you."

And so, he hurriedly ascended the castle until he arrived at the topmost floor, where only the grandest of suites were located. Zelda herself stayed on this floor, as did those closest to her. Impa's room was right alongside hers. Sheer concern for the nursemaid's wellbeing left him unaware as to who answered the door. He met a narrowed pair of red eyes. Waves of disdain washed over his spirit.

"Look who's finally come out of hiding." Forearms rolled with white wrappings crossed themselves. The young assassin leant on a hip pettily. "It only took the near death of my aunt."

Link returned the glare he received. Sheik appeared unblinking entirely.

"I don't have the patience to argue with you," Link said. "Is Impa alright?"

Once, Link dared to call Sheik a friend.

"She is fine."

Link fought off a sigh of relief. "Can I see her?"

As if with great reluctance, Sheik stepped aside to allow Link into Impa's room. It was an elegant living space; spacious with all the necessities. Impa had done little to personalise it, however. Link approached the door leading into her bedchambers, with the nursemaid's fiery nephew in tow. Impa lay on the bed, propped up against firm, velvety pillows as a blonde woman sat by her side. Words stalled in Link's throat.

Zelda leapt to her feet, making up the distance in as great of strides as her ankle-reaching dress would allow. She wasted no time in embracing the hero, a loving reunification that the two Sheikah guardians only rolled their eyes at. The hero was one of the few people the princess would be so affectionate towards. She quickly broke away but stayed by his side.

"She's been seen by the best practitioners in Hyrule," Zelda said, voice poised and gentle. "They say she will be okay."

Impa seemed so different now that she wore clothes more fitted for bed rest. Her pyjamas were crimson and her shoulder-length hair was finally freed from its tight bun. "You make it sound worse than it truly is, princess." Her weary red eyes turned to the hero. "And what have you been up to, hero?"

With the attention of the room focused on him, Link racked his mind for a suitable answer. "Travelling," he said. "But don't worry about me. What in the world happened, Impa? I always thought you were invincible."

Impa's attempt at laughter descended into a series of raw coughs. Zelda and Sheik were by her side in an instant. She waved away their concern. "With age comes weakness, hero," the nursemaid said, voice hoarse. She sipped modestly at a chalice of water. "I believe the letter the princess sent told you this was a matter of great importance."

Link pursed his lips.

"In truth, it is," said Impa. "This brief spell of sickness has made me realise something." She glanced at her nephew, whose cowled face hid stomach-churning worry. "I won't be around forever. Once I'm gone, it will only be you left."

"Oh, Impa," Zelda quickly stepped in. "Don't say things like that."

"I speak nothing but the truth." Impa's blood-red gaze turned down to her lap. A strained sigh left her lips. Her eyes became empty. Sparkless. "I myself am no longer capable of bearing children. Will I truly have contributed nothing towards preventing our kind's extinction?"

Link said, "The world is a ginormous place." Impa spared him a brief look. "How can you be so sure you two are the only Sheikah left?"

Impa's hands, usually a particular shade of bronze, were pallid and unsteady. She fisted both hands on her thighs, her fevered face sinking with sombreness. Two sets of dirty looks were directed at Link. Just a brief, genuinely inquisitive question alone had painted him in the wrong. He sealed his lips and did his best not to shrink beneath the red and blue-eyed glares.

"The Hylian Civil War was far more than just a conflict between your countrymen," the nursemaid said, voice quiet and wrought with emotion. It was troubling seeing the stone-faced matron outwardly display anything but utmost sternness. "The books will not tell you that people other than Hylians suffered. They won't tell you how our tribes were caught amid the war, or how over a thousand bloodlines ceded at the end of the Hylian king's hand."

She solemnly continued, "When I wasn't nursing the infant princess or looking after my nephew, I'd search far and wide for any signs of Sheikah life." She hung her head, bobbed white hair falling around her face. "As far as I know, it is only Sheik and I left. You may be the last living Sheikah male in the world, nephew."

The weight of Impa's words was enough to turn Zelda's eyes glossy. She threw herself onto the nursemaid's blanketed half and clung to the woman's midriff as if she were a child again. Impa paid no heed to the bawling princess, opting to stroke her lengthy blonde hair while focusing her attention on Sheik.

"I will do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of our race. I promise," Sheik said. Despite the circus of emotions, his voice was as coldly neutral as ever. Link often wondered if a face even existed behind his cowl.

The nursemaid nodded, continuing to caress the trembling head of hair affixed to her torso. A splotch of salty tears began to form on her shirt.

"Let's not waste any time beating around the bush, then," Link said with a heart filled with determination. He glanced at Sheik, whose ruby-red eyes' natural instinct was to turn to slits whenever he spoke. "We just need to find you a nice lady to court. It can't be too hard, right?"

The princess chose that moment to withdraw herself from Impa's bosom. She glanced at Link, the only one of the three who was not speechless with an untold feeling. "Don't joke around, Link. This is not the time," she managed to say. "The Sheikah race cannot be diluted with Hylian blood."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Link asked. Zelda's shaky lips sealed themselves defeatedly.

Silence overwhelmed the room for a moment. The princess lingered beside Impa, both women deep in thought, while Sheik leant secretively by the doorway. Impa traded a glance between both the hero and her nephew.

"Perhaps," she said, landing on Sheik, "you should pay a visit to Nyala. Normally, I would seek her out myself, but…"

"You believe she can be of any help to us?" he replied.

"She is an elder. And a wise one at that," she said. "It is my understanding that she travelled all across the world in her youth - to lands far beyond Hyrule. She has seen more than the collective four of us."

Zelda left her nursemaid's side, swiftly flattening her ornate, pink dress and knuckling the moisture from out of her eyes. "The desert is in a state of unrest. Gerudo separatists are few, but still a very prominent threat," she said. Her teary gaze landed on the hero. Link's stomach dropped. "I want you to go with Sheik."

That immediately set the two young men off. Sheik left his position by the door, dark-blond eyebrows furrowed with defiance. "Princess, I must insist," he said. "This oaf will only slow me down. Not to mention he is practically useless in a fight with that arm of his."

Link craned his head to face Sheik. Unsurprisingly, Sheik did not meet him in the eye.

"I'll have you know my arm's fine," he said bitterly, using the aforementioned arm to point at Sheik. "It's marked with the scourge of war." Venom dripped off his words and burned through the carpet below. "Y'know, war? The thing you cowered in shadows all your life to avoid?"

Sheik opted to look at him then, going as far as facing him entirely. Bandaged hands fisted themselves furiously.

"Says the bug-eating fairy who hid in a stasis for seven years."

Something in Link snapped. He took menacing strides until he stood directly ahead of Sheik. The height difference became more apparent. It bolstered Link's confidence knowing he stood almost a head higher than the assassin. "Step outside and we'll settle this now, you little ankle-biter."

Tension died off when a pillow collided with Link's scalp. He allowed the scornful look to drop from his face and watched the princess's skin revert to its natural milky shade. "Clearly, it would be a bad idea to send you two off together. You two are like cats and dogs."

Impa couldn't help but be disheartened by the two boys. "Nephew, is this truly the way you want things to be?" She frowned weakly. "Whatever happened between you two in the past must be buried. In such dire times, the last thing anyone needs is childish rivalries," she said. "But I suppose it can't be helped. Princess, would you be averse for Sheik to go alone?"

Before Zelda managed to reply, Sheik said, "There is no need," he said, his foreign lilt cocksure. "I have changed my mind. The hero can come. If he isn't against it, of course."

Zelda and Impa exchanged a look. "Sheik?" the princess said warily.

Link shared their bewilderment. Yet he didn't bother questioning it. "Well. I guess that's that," he said. "When are we leaving?"

"Preferably as soon as possible. Nyala lives amongst nomads. There's no telling how long she'll be in the desert before she relocates," said Impa.

A pale pair of slender hands clasped together. "Then it's settled! I will begin arrangements at once," Zelda said, no longer as weepy. "But first, may I speak to you in private, Link?"

She led him out of the bedchambers, and into the main living space. The walls were thick, though neither of the two had any doubt that there'd be unwanted listeners. Link knew it especially well - if a pin was to drop further down a hallway, Sheik would notice it. The assassin had senses like no other. He didn't fault himself for being envious of the kind's acute sense of hearing, or their vision that was capable of seeing through darkness. And while he treasured his broad shoulders and tall stature, it pained Link to know he'd never be as agile or quick-footed as Sheik.

But likewise, he didn't particularly see the need to perform pointless backflips and somersaults. Stealthiness never was his strong suit either. Why would he need to blend into the night when he had nothing to hide from?

Zelda stood with her back turned, facing the panes separating the balcony from the indoors. Her kingdom appeared picturesque in the cold light dawn offered. "I know that birds are the only way you receive news from the outside world." Her reflection barely appeared in the glass. Link saw her face and its dainty features sink. "I've sent you many letters regarding a certain topic. Did you read them, or did you use them only to keep your fires alight?"

Link frowned. "I am only four years younger than you are," he said. "Have you ever seen a twenty-year-old with a squire?"

Zelda turned to face him, straight locks of blonde hair falling gracefully around her shoulders and back, but not her face. A circlet embedded with blue gems complimented her irises, which still had faint veins of red creeping at the cerulean centres. "You are more than that," she retorted, as if she was offended. "You are Hyrule's saviour. And you pride yourself in saving the land, don't you?"

A nod met her words.

"Your doings have brought you great pain, but alleviated the pain of a million others." The emotion in her face lessened, her lips tilting into a frown. "And it has wounded you greatly, Link. You've fallen great heights and have lived through searing flames like nobody else. But believe it or not, you are still mortal."

Link found it impossible to do anything other than just stare at the woman. Her words should have offended him. They should have made him retort childishly and insult her on a personal level - like that instance when he carried her from Ganondorf's castle, eventually reaching safety only to realise she had peed herself along the way. Or perhaps the time he had brought her an offering (a frog) during her coronation, and she screamed so loudly that she considered labelling the species as invasive.

"And since you outrightly refuse every physician and practitioner I coax you to see, there's no telling just how much more your body can take." She took cautionary steps towards him, until her divine fragrance of vanilla burned his nostrils. "I want you to have a squire, Link. You are a legend in Hyrule's history now. And you need someone to pass your skills unto."

Link had thought about it briefly before. He had seen knights in the castle waltzing around with a young boy in tow, who'd follow their master's orders without question and do what was told, all in the name of training underneath that particular soldier. And while it would certainly be useful to have someone to carry all his equipment, he couldn't imagine doing so at such an age. He had a whole life ahead of him, and yet the princess spoke as if he had mere days to live.

"And then there is the whole topic of when you intend to join my service. Officially become a Knight of Hyrule." Zelda watched Link roll his eyes at her words. "I'm serious, Link!" she said as sternly as she could. "You'd be the finest warrior in the whole army. Just imagine the life you'd lead!"

"I don't want to be eternally bound to you, princess. Do you know how humiliating it is to be at someone's beck and call?" he asked. "No, I draw the line at becoming a knight. Their helmets look ridiculous, anyway."

She exhaled, looking downward to peer at his arm. With cautious movements, she held his right hand and gently ran her palm up the limb, hiking his sleeves up. "It certainly looks like it's healed," she said softly. "How do you cope with the pain?"

Her fingers, moisturised and supple, ran along the marred limb. Marks that were once red and ugly had since blended itself into his skin. The scars scourged his forearm and stopped at his elbow. And though he still had control over the appendage, he could not register the feel of Zelda's slender fingers. A switch in his mind flicked. He hastily withdrew his hand from her grip. "It's already healed." He quickly rolled his sleeve down.

Again, worry crept through Zelda's face. She had always been a doting big sister to Link. This was exemplified when she pulled him into a tight hug, standing on the very tips of her toes. "Be safe, okay?" she whispered into his ear. "I love you."

"I love you, too, but," Link said, breaking away from her tight embrace and staring her down for a moment, "about this whole Sheikah thing. Look, I'm all about keeping people alive. But truthfully, what are we supposed to do?" He could have laughed at the absurdity of it. Though, he knew it wouldn't sit well with Zelda. "Impa said it herself - only she and Sheik are left. What does she expect to come out of this journey to the desert?"

She gazed at him. In a way, the two were immensely similar. They'd been mistaken for siblings on multiple occasions, by commoners and noblemen alike. Their hair was almost the identical shade of blond, and the same could have been said for their eyes. Desirable Hylian features were evident in both of them, such as sharp, pointy ears and cheekbones. Yet they differed greatly internally. Aside from Zelda, Link despised any person who considered themselves nobility.

"I don't know, Link," she answered. "But just promise me you'll do whatever you can to help them. Are you aware that I see Impa as my mother?"

Link nodded.

"And I see Sheik as my slightly younger brother?"

Another nod.

"And you as my youngest brother that's somehow the biggest in the family?"

Link chuckled, raising a hand to affectionately rub at the princess's scalp. She did not seem averse to the feeling. "I promise I'll do whatever I can to help your eccentric, red-eyed family members out." His smile lessened. He dropped his hand to his side. With the threat of a race's extinction looming over them, it was hard to stop their spirits from plummeting. Zelda's grin descended into a thin line. "I better get going, then."

The princess nodded firmly. "Go, Hero of Time," she spoke formally. "Your journey is not over yet."

A/N: Please let me know if there are any errors in my writing! Thanks!