Title: Backlash
Author: Sometimes, A Muse
Date: 2/20-21/2008
Fandom: Legend of Zelda
Pairing: Link x Sheik (undertones, really)
Rating: PG-13 (language, mention of injury)
Word Count: 1270
Summary: Drabble. No drabble I start seems to want to stay drabble-length. One-shot. Caught in the backlash from Zelda's spell, Sheik's surprised he's still alive.
Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, don't have any money to give you if you sue. Original plot elements are mine.
Author's Note: In my version of the universe, young Link started his quest for the three stones at 10, it took a while, he turned 11. Seven years pass, he comes back at 18, so he's an "adult" for any "adult" situations that develop. Sheik is his own character, separate from Zelda.
Comments: Inspired by Heat, though not meant as a companion. Concrit welcomed.
Additional Comments: As of posting this to (July 2008), yes, Backlash has spawned a sequel of sorts. It's still very much in its early notes stage as I hammer out plot points and major details, and is not going to be finished for at least a year, quite possibly longer. Please be content in the knowledge that more of this 'verse is coming, but respect the fact that I work at my own pace.

His first thought was one of pain. Ow ow ow ow fuck fuckity fuck ow ow OW. His second though started to ponder the fact that he wasn't dead, for surely death couldn't be this painful. His third thought wondered if he'd actually seen worry in the familiar blue eyes and anguished quirk of lips, or if that had been a hallucinated prelude to passing out. His fourth thought brought him full-circle: OW.

To distract himself from the pain, he tried to focus on what had happened. He'd been in the Temple of Time. He'd prepared for the task at hand, sitting the meditation rituals in search of strength and courage and determination: everything he'd seen in another but doubted in himself. He'd met the Hero, given the speech, felt the pulls of magic. Zelda, hidden away in the Sacred Realm, needed an anchor to return to this world. It was the duty of the Sheikah to serve. But there had been a problem neither of them had anticipated: Ganondorf. Oh, they'd anticipated an attack: Sheik would, of course, be the one to die. Sacrificed to the magic or the evil king's blade, the actual event determined by where in the process the interruption occurred. But the problem was that Ganondorf didn't attack. Oh no, he instead cast a web of his own, dark magic set to ensnare the Princess in a crystalline cage.

The backlash from Zelda's spell, unable to complete itself, had ripped through Sheik's body and mind. He'd been unable to stop the scream that spilled from his lips, and blood ran freely from ears and nose, even the corners of his eyes. Fire danced up and down his nerves and he dimly recalled a steady hand pressing a cool cloth to his forehead, though that didn't make any sense.

But there was a sensation of coolness on his forehead, and a pressure that wasn't coming from inside his skull.

He cracked his eyes open, instantly regretting the idea as the sensitive orbs were assaulted by the light. Then, as if they had been merely waiting for his eyes to take the first step, his other senses flared to life. Sensations furiously battered his consciousness. His head spun, trying to sort it all out, and bile rose in his throat. Then he was guided to roll to his side, his cowl pulled down as he retched miserably.

As the burning sensation in his throat started to recede, Sheik focused on trying to sort his senses out. An acrid, sooty smell met his nostrils, so he assumed there was a fire...somewhere. Strangely muffled booms caught his ears, as though rock were falling some distance away. His mouth tasted foul, soot mingled with bile, and he forced deep, slow breaths as he fought the nausea down. Strong hands attached to strong arms supported him, guided his battered form to lie on his back once more. Green and gold and blue swirled in his vision before shakily settling into the familiar, albeit battered, form of the Hero of Time.

"Hey," Link said softly, seeing awareness in the red eyes. "I know everything hurts and I know you've got questions and I really know you're going to give me hell for ripping off your face cover like that, but first I need you to try to swallow some potion for me."

Sheik slowly blinked his eyes, which the other youth took as a sign of assent. Something smooth was held to his lips, small amounts of viscous liquid dribbled into his mouth as a hand gently rubbed his throat, encouraging him to swallow. He don't know how long the simple process was repeated, mind in a foggy haze. His eyes slowly wandered off Link's face to the ceiling, where he studied the slightly-blurry-yet-familiar patterned tiles of the Temple of Time. Eventually, finally, the haze started to clear: though the pain remained, Sheik found he was not only able to form coherent thoughts, but he could translate those thoughts into words as well.

"What...happened?" Sheik forced the words passed tight throat and cracked lips, taking a deep breath at the effort speech required.

"Well, I don't really know what kind of spell you and Zelda were trying to cast, but Ganondorf showed up and he did some other kind of spell and the next thing I know is you're on the floor screaming in agony and Zelda's in some crystal thing being whisked away by that brute."

"Ze...Zelda..." Sheik's eyes widened and he tried to sit up; Link's restraining hand on his chest was unnecessary as he found he didn't possess strength enough to rise.

"Is fine. I went after Ganondorf and rescued her." Link shuddered, grimacing. "That twisted interpretation of a castle is something I'll not forget anytime soon, and the less said about the bastard himself, the better."

"She's...safe?"

"She's safe. We're all safe. Ganondorf has been sealed away by the power of the Sages. Hyrule's...free." Link trailed off as a fluttering ball of blue light skimmed across the room, followed closely by an equally-fluttering ball of pink light. The blue light settled on Link's shoulder, the tiny fairy crossing her ankles and peering down expertly at Sheik. The pink light swirled around Sheik, so fast he had to close his eyes or be made nauseous again trying to follow the movements. The Sheikah felt something feathery brush against him, a comforting warmth that caused him to sigh.

"Feels better?" Link asked.

Sheik opened his eyes. Navi was still perched on Link's shoulder, but the second fairy was nowhere to be seen. Sheik presumed her to have flown off after she'd exhausted her healing energies. "Yes, a little," he replied simply, his voice coming out steadier and stronger.

"Good. It was hell having to leave you here, but I knew I had to follow Ganondorf straight away." Link shuddered. "I would face a thousand of him, if I never have to see you like that again."

Shocked, Sheik didn't quite know how to reply. "I...why am I still alive?"

Link grinned, settling himself into a more comfortable position on the floor. "I said that I had to follow Ganondorf. Navi stayed with you, to heal you and to..." Here Link faltered, swallowing, and his next words spilled out in a rush. "To protect you, in case I should fall."

"To...protect me?" Sheik's voice echoed the awe his face clearly displayed.

Link ducked his head to hide the blush threatening to creep across his cheeks. "Yeah. She's a servant of the Great Deku Tree. I asked her to ask for you to be given refuge to heal, should you need to take up my sword."

"Link...Navi...I don't know what to say." Emotion filled Sheik's voice, and he tightly closed suddenly-moist eyes.

"Don't say anything." Link's reply was soft, and he shifted again, kneeling at Sheik's side. "Right now I'm going to get you out of here and on to Epona. Then we're going to head for Kakariko where I'll see Zelda and you'll see the healer. Then we're going to sleep for at least three days." Link's movements were gentle as he maneuvered the other youth, cradling the abused body to his chest as he slowly rose to his feet. "Then we'll both figure out what to say."

Sheik, eyes closed against the movement-induced nausea, nodded against Link's chest. Between the backlash from the spell and the backlash from Link's words, his mind just wanted to spiral down into darkness again. But as strong arms, protective arms, held him, he surmised that the darkness would not be as dark this time.