The Hero of Time's body stood comatose in its magical shell hidden deep inside the Chamber of Sages.

For seven years he would stay there while the outside world carried on without him, until he was old enough to complete the journey set before him.

Then, we would be strong enough to destroy the evil.

Then, we would save Hyrule.

That was the plan.

However for those seven years, the kingdom was without its protector. Death and destruction ensued and the land fell into darkness.

All was not lost though, in this time that the hero lay dormant. For at the very moment when the master sword was sheathed inside the pedestal in the Temple of Time, two things happened.

The first was physical stasis.

The second was a separation between body and mind.

And that was when Link, the Hero of Time became two: A lifeless form destined to wait until time needed it, and an alternate plane of existence somewhere between this world and the next.

It is in this "reality" that this story takes place, and it begins seven years ago as he wakes for the first time.

Year 1

The pain manifests itself like hundreds of electric pin-pricks. He feels it first in his fingertips, as it then courses through the rest of his body, willing his eyes open to the world.

It's blurry at first, his vision not yet adjusting and all he sees are shapes and muted colors. It is so tiring that he almost gives up, his eyes fluttering shut again, giving in to the peaceful darkness that lay beneath his eyelids.

Urgently hands grasp upon him, shaking him awake.

He sees a dark room around him, unfamiliar. The walls and objects in it seem slightly skewed, almost as if they have no weight nor actual presence, lines and edges blurred giving the atmosphere a static, faded quality.

Link feels frightened. Confused. He looks at his hands and they are there, thankfully, so he must be alive and well and that comforts him to an extent.

He realizes then that he was laying on some sort of bed-shaped stone. Around him are slowly burning torches and as his eyes adjust to the darkness, he makes out several figures along the outer perimeter of the room.

They are hooded and make Link feel very uneasy. He assumes they are watching him, although he cannot see their faces.

'Are they monsters?' he thinks. 'Do they want to hurt me?' he wonders nervously.

He looks around then somewhat frantically for his sword, feeling at his back noticing the sheath missing.

'They have my weapons!' he figures in wide-eyed terror, but only for a moment, as then his mind catapults into a memory:

Putting a sword into a stone pedestal. A temple. A blinding light.

This sends Link reeling, and he sits catatonic, hopelessly unaware of what has happened and fearful of where he might be and in whose company he is in.

The figures standing at the perimeter remain stagnant, however at that moment he hears a voice. It surprises Link, as he was still contemplating his confusing situation.

"Link, do not be afraid," it says.

He jumps at the sudden echoing voice, and trembles. Not because it is menacing, but because he has become used to the persistent silence.

"W-who.." he manages to reply.

The voice is multilayered, sounding almost as if three people are speaking at once.

"You are safe here. Our purpose is to protect you. We.. are your guardians."

'Do I trust them?' Link considers internally.

"How," he says out loud, "How do I know that? It's so dark in here I can hardly see, a-and it's so cold. I don't feel safe at all!"

The voice laughs gently, and in a higher register, responds. "This world is not like your own, young hero. We do not need light nor material things or any frivolities to exist. In time, you will learn that you too, do not need most of these things."

Link feels a bit calmer. The seemingly female voice that spoke just then reminded him of the Great Fairies. The Deku Tree also comes to mind, for he had always spoken cryptically and for some reason, these thoughts made him feel more at ease.

"I remember.. the Temple of Time.." he thinks aloud.

"Yes."

"There was a bright light, and.. and I don't remember anything after that."

There seems to be quiet discussion, as the voices murmur to each other.

"We have decided.. there is information.. that will be better suited if it is given to you at a later time. All you need to know, is that you will be here for some time, and you will be taken care of and trained so you may fulfill your destiny."

"So.. this.. is my home now?" Link asks quietly.

"For a time."

And even though Link considers himself a strong boy, he feels like he would start to weep at the news. He misses then what he thought of as his home, the Kokiri Forest, and recalls his soft bed and the safety of his tree house. It dawns on him however, as he cycles through his memories of what has transpired recently, that he really has no home to call his own, and any home that is given to him now was as good a home as any.

But he still whimpers and sniffles and trembles in the damp, dark, cold. For any adult rationale would be years to come.

A warm hand touches his shoulder, and a voice follows.

"Hush, child. There will be no tears today nor any day going forward. You are brave and there is nothing to fear."

Link looks up and his heart races at a familiar face.

Impa, Princess Zelda's bodyguard, acknowledges him with a slight nod. He remembers Impa from when he met the Princess in her courtyard, back in Hyrule Castle.

"Y-you're here too?" he asks, wide-eyed.

"Yes, although I have many things to do. I won't be here from this point forward, so you must be wise and use this time to your advantage," Impa advises.

Link took a moment to survey the room, with all its emptiness and foreign atmosphere.

"So, I'll be alone here?"

"No," Impa answers and she gestures for him to get up and stand by her side.

Link stands and glances up at Impa curiously. "No? You don't mean those people with the hoods, do you?" He whispers then, "they're scary."

Impa laughs. "Those scary people are my ancestors, young one. They are superior in mind and power to anyone you will ever know."

"Even the King of Evil?"

Impa kneels down to look Link in the eyes. "I fear if you speak his name, it may not bode well. For the time you are here, do not mention him."

"Why..?" Link asks.

Impa sighs. "Let's just take this one step at a time, all right?"

"Okay."

"Come with me," she says and before escorting Link out of the room, she bows with her hands pressed together towards the hooded figures.

Link does the same, although unsure why and if he should have. Might as well be polite, he figures. It is their home, after all.

The hallways were dark and never-ending. They resemble catacombs of a otherwordly place. Link trudges on with the guide of Impa, and if it were not for her, he fears he would have never found his way. Not that he knew what the way was, in any case.

They spoke none, and only their footsteps were heard echoing softly throughout the tunnels.

Link stops then, noticing something.

"Hey! Look, it's the eye symbol! From those stones!"

He points at a very old-looking tapestry on one of the walls.

"Yes, it is. That symbol is a very important part of our culture," Impa replies.

"Our?" Link asks.

"The Sheikah."

"Oh.." he replies softly. "What does it mean? And.. why is it here, on the walls?"

Impa stalls for a moment, seeming to stare intensely at the markings.

"What it means is for only a Sheikah to know, and it is here because you are among them."

Link feels a chill run through his body, although not entirely sure why. He looks around the corridor, not sensing anyone at all nearby. And he hasn't seen anyone this entire time, save for Impa and those strange figures.

"Do they live here?" he gasps.

"Sometimes."

"So there are other Sheikah?" he asks, hesitantly.

"Very few remain."

"What happened to..." he prods but Impa quickly raises her hand, signaling him to stop.

"It would do you well to feign your curiosity. Too much can be dangerous, little one."

Link nods, a little ashamed, and the two continue their journey onward.

Finally they reach their destination, a narrow opening to the right, which leads to what seems to be a large room filled with candles, rugs, and small statues placed in alcoves lining the walls. The ceiling is low, and the whole place still reminds him of an ancient forgotten tomb, but this room in particular has a quality to it which he can't quite pinpoint.

A smell lingers in the air, not an unpleasant one, but a musky scent, like incense having been burned for centuries in the same space.

Link glances around as he enters, taking in the environment. Even though his age would be questionable for merits of wisdom, his keen sense for observing the unobvious have been developing since he first entered the Great Deku Tree. Impa remains in the doorway, staying behind as Link ventures further into the room.

He notices then a figure to the left, sitting on a large pillow on the floor, legs crossed underneath. The figure is motionless and silent, arms relaxed and palms face up resting on the knees. The head is cloaked but tilted downward, and smoke wafts in tiny spirals nearby from an incense burner beside the pillow.

Link halts. It's slightly spooky, but the figure looks so calm, so at peace. He is unsure of what to do. Should he return to Impa and ask? He is curious however, and wants to see if this figure has a face, unlike the others he had encountered earlier.

He walks carefully forward, inching his way until he hears a voice come from beneath the cloak.

"So you are the Child of Destiny?"

It's a soft voice, but slightly deeper in timber, not high but not very low, and the words are carefully enunciated.

Link is taken aback. "I.. uh.. no one has called me that before."

"You are Link, are you not?" the figure implies.

"I am," Link replies matter-of-factly.

"And do you thwart monsters and traverse dungeons for the good of all Hyrule?"

"I guess I do," Link answers humbly.

"Hmm. You guess? Perhaps then you are not the Child of Destiny after all."

"That will be enough," Impa interrupts as she stands beside Link, "he has been through enough for today."

All of this terribly confuses Link, and he remains silent, unsure of what to do or say.

"Very well," the figure states and stands up to full height, walking over to Link.

Link is surprised at the stature, and he suddenly feels very small in comparison.

"Link," Impa says gently, "this is Sheik."

Sheik removes the cloak, and reveals to Link a face (which he is thankful for) but of which most is hidden behind a cowl. Only eyes, and longer hair from underneath a matching headpiece.

"Hello Sheik," Link says quietly.

"Hello Link," Sheik responds.

Impa kneels down beside Link, and touches his shoulder. "Sheik will be your guide from this point forward, Link. He will protect you, teach you, and train you to become who you need to be. He is invaluable to you and I suggest you make every effort to learn everything you can from him."

Link stares at Sheik, and now realizes his masculine form. His clothes are tight-fitting and he seems somewhat muscular. He notices that Sheik must be very quick on his feet, for he has a lightness to his step and a gracefulness about him.

Link is in awe, and not sure why.

Sheik guides Link down another seemingly endless corridor.

"I'm taking you to where you will be staying," he tells Link.

They reach a passageway which leads to a bedroom of sorts. In it, Link finds a bed, rugs, shelves, and a dresser, all very minimalist but deep in color, and what seems like, history.

Sheik steps in first and walks over to a bedside lamp, and lights it somehow, from the tips of his fingers.

"Come in," he says.

Link walks in cautiously.

"There is nothing to be fearful of," Sheik hints from across the room.

"There aren't any windows, anywhere.." Link adds. "Why is that?"

Sheik makes his way to the other side of the room and lights another lamp, and while doing so remarks, "Because there is nothing to see."

"How old are you?" Link asks.

Sheik pauses momentarily, visibly caught off guard by such a direct, personal question.

"I.. have seen the young grow and pass from this life.. I have even seen some stars fade from the sky."

"You don't look that old," says Link.

"No?"

"No. You look about twenty. Do you live here?" Link asks.

"When I must."

"Do you like it?"

Sheik stands still and stares at Link. "Whether one likes something is meaningless when such impertinent issues are at hand."

"I'm sorry," Link says after a moment, "I am just a little scared, and when I feel scared I get nervous and talk a lot."

Sheik walks to the doorway but pauses. "Understanding yourself is the first step to empowerment," he readies to leave but before stepping through the doorway adds, "Goodnight."

Link watches him leave and again feels the frightening sensation of being somewhere unknown.

The room is comfortable, at least, however he can't quite shake the feeling of it being here for a certain purpose. He wonders if that purpose is to make him forget he is somewhere.. else.

Sheik seems somewhat friendly at least, Link thinks. He's difficult to understand and doesn't talk much, but he hasn't tried to hurt him and Impa said he could help. Link wonders then if Sheik is lonely here, too.

"This lesson will consist of utilizing techniques to become invisible."

"I'll be invisible?" Link asks eagerly.

"Not literally. There are many ways to not be seen," Sheik instructs. "Like this hallway for instance. Do you see the shadows, where the light does not touch?"

Link surveys the corridor. He desperately tries to understand Sheik but most of the time he speaks so cryptically, and Link very much wants to impress him.

Sheik stares oddly at Link for a moment, and then says, "Watch me."

He runs toward a darkened space where the light from the wall sconces do not reach, presses his left foot against the wall, jumps, and suddenly a flash of light. Link looses sight of Sheik in that very moment and can no longer see him anywhere.

He waits a moment, and still Sheik does not reappear.

"Sheik! Where are you?" Link questions anxiously.

And then, he hears Sheik's voice from somewhere up high.

"Up here."

Link follows the voice and squints into the darkness, and when his eyes adjust he spots Sheik, on the ceiling in the shadows, directly above him.

"Wow how'd you do that?" Link exclaims.

"This would be quite an inopportune situation for you if I wanted to end your life," Sheik says slowly.

Link gulps.

"However.. that is not the case," Sheik reassures and drops down quickly behind Link, grabbing him around the neck from behind. "Yet do you see how easy it would be," he tightens his grip, "to incapacitate an enemy," he whispers in Link's ear, "whilst being unseen?".

"Y-you're scaring me! Let go!" Link stammers.

Sheik releases his hold.

"Your turn," Sheik says calmly.

And thus, Sheik shows Link the magic of using a Deku Nut, how throwing it onto the ground can make your opponents lose sight of you, biding time. They practice this and other techniques, rolling and dodging, Sheik demonstrating everything Link needs to know in order to become an assassin of sorts.

Link's eagerness impresses Sheik. The child does not give up. Even when his tiny form is exhausted beyond measure he continues to push himself. Impa was right; he very well could be the Child of Destiny. Yet Link is still unaware of how long he must endure living in this otherworld, and telling him would prove as a hinderance.

Link, training as hard and absorbing as much information as his mind and body can, falls into bed every night, dreaming of Hyrule, saving the Princess, and making Sheik proud.

Year 2

Link sits speechless beside Sheik as they meditate together, stewing over a discussion they had minutes ago.

"You must remain here until you are seventeen years of age," Sheik had told him.

"What? Why? The Princess needs to be rescued... I have to save her!" Link answered in confusion.

Sheik sat motionless, expressionless. The incense smoke a pleasant distraction.

Link stared at Sheik in disbelief, wanting to say things he just couldn't formulate as verbal words. He felt so many things, betrayal for one. Sheik was his only friend in this dark place. How could he have kept this from him?

"You will not be strong enough physically to save the Princess unless you stay here, hidden, until you become who you need to be," Sheik answered carefully.

"But we have been training for a year! I'm strong enough now!" Link exclaimed.

Sheik sighed. He stood, "Stay there," he told Link, and went to get something. He returned with a mirror.

"Look," he said.

Link gazed into his reflection from the mirror as Sheik held it for him. He hadn't looked at himself, truly, in a year.

"Link, what do you see?"

Link wasn't sure what he meant. He saw a boy, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and pointy ears.

"I see.. me," Link said.

"Look again," Sheik urged, handing the mirror to Link's hands.

As Link looked at himself, Sheik held out his hand, and in it a white flame appeared. In the flame, Link saw death. Not death itself, but a representation.

"Look at this flame, and then at yourself. Then tell me what you see," Sheik asked.

Link saw devastation, terror, the Dark Lord in the flame Sheik held, and in the mirror he saw..

"I'm just a boy.. I'm little. Not big enough, not scary enough.. not strong enough."

The flame went out in Sheik's hands. And in that moment, Link realized and was afraid, and he grasped onto Sheik and wouldn't let go.

Link stumbles and can't quite catch his footing. He falls to the ground and yells angrily.

Sheik lowers his weapon and sighs.

"Link you must concentrate."

Link manages to stand, noticing then a gash on his right elbow. He stares at it as blood begins to form around the cut.

Sheik walks slowly over, and kneels down to Link's height. He takes Link's arm in his hand, and with the other rips a piece of fabric from his own wrist. He presses it gently against the abrasion, and then brings it up and around, tieing it in a knot around Link's elbow.

"Do not let the sight of your own blood weaken you, Link," Sheik says gently. "We all bleed, even those who seem powerful beyond measure."

Link watches as his blood seeps through the fabric.

"Does the King of Evil bleed?" Link asks quietly.

"He will.. in time."

Link pauses, thinking.

"Do you believe in me, Sheik?" He looks Sheik in the eyes, locking their gaze.

Sheik stares for a moment, and quickly looks down, breaking the contact.

"Come, Link. We try again." Sheik raises his dagger, and enters a fighting stance.

Link's face for a moment falls with a disappointed expression, but soon he regains his composure and joins Sheik to continue their lesson.

He does much better this time, and Sheik can't help but admire Link's ability to pick himself back up, even in the midst of blood, hurt, and unanswered questions.

Will he always be this way, as time passes..

They sit in a room, circular but large enough, where the ceiling appears to open up to the night sky. It is ethereal in here, the stars visible and twinkling, and an almost magical essence permeating the air.

Link and Sheik sit on the floor across from each other.

"Are they real?" Link asks.

"The stars?" Sheik answers.

Link nods. "Yes, the stars. This is the only room here where I have been able to see outside."

Sheik looks up. "Does it comfort you, to see them?"

"This one," Link points at one particular star, that is larger and brighter than the others, "I could see this one at night in Hyrule."

Sheik appears sad for a moment.

"Then lets us play for them, the stars." He picks up his lyre.

"I don't have my ocarina," Link realizes.

Sheik picks something up from beside him and reaches it outward.

"Use this one," he says.

It's an ocarina, but not the same Link has used before. It is black and shiny, polished and almost too lightweight to be real. Link accepts it and readies the instrument before his lips. He pauses, then.

"What will we play?" Link asks.

"We will play a song that evokes something that grows over time. A true friendship. A feeling in the heart that becomes even stronger over time. The passion of friendship will soon blossom into a righteous power and through it, you will know where to go. This song is dedicated to the power of the heart."

"Oh that sounds nice," Link smiles, "what's it called?"

"The Bolero of Fire."

"The Bolero.. of Fire," Link repeats slowly. "Is it an important song?"

"It will be," Sheik responds.

"You play it first! I want to hear it," Link suggests excitedly.

"Very well." Sheik plucks a string on his lyre. "Close your eyes."

And Link closes his eyes as the melody is played. He feels chills on his arms, tiny bumps almost as if the room got cold. He notices a sadness in his heart at first; the song is melancholy but he feels something else, something igniting within him. A fire.

He picks up his ocarina with his eyes still shut tight, and plays.

Sheik's eyes open wide for a moment, as he hears Link play along with the melody perfectly. And for a long moment the two play in harmony, the music filling the room up with a power both feel deep within their souls.

As the song finishes, Sheik's lips smile slightly, although Link can not see it.

"Remember this song, Link."

Year 3

Link stands in front of a mirror in his bedroom. He has been staring at himself for a while. He thinks it is the morning, but he is unsure. He never knows exactly what time it is, and it is always dark, in this place.

He has noticed his clothes are beginning to fit him improperly. He thinks back to what the Deku Tree Sprout had told him, that he in fact was not a Kokiri but a Hylian, and while he had been surprised at the news back then, he now smiles happily that he seems to be growing up.

He feels lonely then, and confused as to why. Most likely it would be that it's always nice to have someone around, to help you grow up. But Link doesn't think about that.

He's thankful to have Sheik, but Sheik is older than him. Sheik is an adult. Sometimes he feels awkward that his only friend in this place is a grown-up. He thinks then about Saria and what she would say to him now, about getting older. She probably would be excited for him, Link thinks.

He doesn't know how long it has been, since he first arrived here. He knows time is passing but it's not obvious, as there is no rising sun or dusk as an indication.

He wonders if he will need new clothes soon. He hopes Sheik will give him some, as the thought of having to ask makes Link feel somewhat embarrassed.

He thinks about Sheik and how strong he looks. He feels awkward then, looking at himself. He feels small but big at the same time and he wonders how he looks to Sheik. He wonders what Sheik thinks of him.

"I can't do it!" Link yells.

"Yes, you can," Sheik says loudly to Link from across the gap.

The area between the two ledges is quite large, and Link must jump and use the grappling device Sheik gave to him on a wooden outcropping to make it across. They are in a room with a very high ceiling, a training room of sorts, which looks to have been created for this purpose exactly.

Link stands still and refuses to try.

"It's too far," he says.

"Not if you use the hookshot. You will make it, Link," Sheik reassures.

"I'm tired of you telling me what to do!" Link yells again.

Sheik raises his eyebrows in surprise. Well, well.

"So the hero refuses to try," Sheik muses aloud.

Link gets angry and huffs. "I hate this place! It's dark and boring and I'm tired of you!"

Sheik folds his arms across his chest and thinks for a moment. He turns his back to Link and looks over his shoulder.

"Very well. Good luck making it out of here on your own."

And with that, Sheik walks through the doorway, far on the other side of the room.

Link's jaw drops and for a moment he is paralyzed. He looks around nervously, realizing just then all of the work he'll have to do to make it across to the other side. He's not sure how to, actually.

He yells, throws a tantrum of sorts. Not the most becoming for the future hero of Hyrule.

The room echoes a thunderous sound and the floor beneath Link begins to shake. For in this magical place and this room in particular, it adapts to the will of the people in it, and unfortunately for Link, it began to adapt to his rage.

Link loses his footing and tumbles to the ground below him, quite a distance down.

"O-ow," he says painfully.

But before he can yell or cry or do anything of the sort, he sees something move in the shadows. His heart races and he begins to look for his weapons.

He has none, besides the hookshot he still holds in his left hand.

A monster creeps out from the shadow, and Link jumps back. The only thing he can think to do, is to use his hookshot to hurt it.

It shoots right through the monster, affecting it none.

More now appear behind the first, crawling slowly towards their prey.

Link backs up, and realizes he can retreat no further. He is against a wall with nowhere right or left to go.

He shoots again with the hookshot, to no avail.

One of the shadows jump onto Link, and bites his shoulder. Link cries out in pain.

"Aaaah!" he screams.

He swats at the monster, punches and kicks. The rest continue their approach, until maybe five or so have almost surrounded him.

"Link!" he hears from somewhere in the room.

"Link, use your Deku Nut!"

Link realizes he has one, in the pocket of his satchel, and quickly reaches for one and slams it onto the ground.

The shadows scream in a most terrifying way, but the blinding light gives Link enough time to scramble up onto a nearby ledge.

He sees then Sheik, at the far end of the room. But to make it across, he will have to jump quite far and use his hookshot, like he had been instructed to by Sheik moments before.

"Do as I told you!" Sheik yells, and leans over the ledge with his arm outstretched, hand open and ready to catch the boy on the final stretch of the gap.

Link backs up, and without thinking, makes a running start to the edge.

He jumps high in the air, and raises his hookshot, aiming at the ledge. It hits its mark, and Link swings forward close to the other side.

"You must gain momentum and jump to me!" Sheik yells as Link dangles in the air.

And Link swings forward and then back, until he has built up speed for his final jump.

He lets go, and arm outstretched, sails toward Sheik.

Their hands connect, and Sheik grabs hold tightly, pulling Link up and over the ledge.

Link falls then, on top of Sheik, and holds him tight.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Link cries.

"Silly boy," laments Sheik.

"I know! I'm so sorry!" Link says, muffled into Sheik's shoulder.

Sheik realizes their awkward positioning, and he sits up, removing Link's body from his own.

Link realizes now as well, and a faint color rises to his cheeks. He wonders why it feels so warm, all of a sudden. Strange.

"Never forget as you grow older Link, that with age comes wisdom, and you are yet on that path. Just because you begin to age, it does not mean you can suddenly conquer all. Always remember to be mindful of this, and you will grow to be as smart as you strong. Both are necessary to survive in this world."

And as Sheik says this Link looks into his eyes, and notices for the first time that they are red. A brilliant, ruby red. The cowl covering Sheik's lips moves slightly as he speaks, and he can see the outline of them and the fabric puffing as he breathes. He notices many things at that moment. That Sheik's skin is tanned and his hair is a golden blonde. Obvious things that were always so apparent, but it's almost as if Link is noticing these things, for the first time. And he feels a heat. And for some reason, he feels terribly embarrassed.

He pushes himself further away from Sheik, and stands.

"Yeah. Okay," he says strangely and exits the room, leaving Sheik behind on the floor, still trying to catch his breath.

Year 4

Link didn't want to see Sheik today. For some reason every time he would think about Sheik, he would get a pain in his stomach, which made him feel sick. His chest would feel heavy too, like his heart is beating too fast, and sometimes Link wonders if he has fallen ill.

It feels later than usual; Link had begun to wake at certain times (which he assumed to be the early morning) and Sheik would usually meet him outside his doorway.

This occasion however, as Link opens his door, Sheik is nowhere to be seen.

Link peers both ways down the corridor outside of his bedroom, and decides to go searching for him.

He goes left, and follows the hallway for a while, until he hears a crackling fire and sees a light coming from an opening on the right hand side.

He walks slowly and quietly, and glances inside the room.

He sees Sheik sitting, working on something.

He watches for a moment, breathing carefully.

"Hello, Link."

Link jumps, startled. He raises a hand to his head, rubbing his hat, ashamedly.

"Hi. I'm sorry to bother you, I just didn't see you outside my room and I-"

"This is for you," Sheik says as he stands up and walks toward Link.

In his hands he carries an outfit, blue and silver in color, a full-piece suit similar to Sheik's own. On it he sees the eye symbol, and he tries to digest this visual information quickly.

Sheik comes close and hands the outfit to Link.

"This is for my protege Sheikah. May it aid you in your trainings in this realm, and may it fit you better than the tunic you still wear now."

Link is sure Sheik is smiling slightly under the cowl, but he can not be certain. He senses it, however. And Link thinks about what was just said, and realizes that truly, his old clothes need to go. They are quite small now indeed, and the fact that Sheik has pointed this out makes Link look down at the floor in embarrassment.

"Go ahead. Put it on."

Suddenly Link wonders what he should do. Should he leave and put this on back in his bedroom? It was a far walk, after all. How awkward though to change here in front of Sheik!

"Do not mind me. I will not look, after all. Dress quickly and we will begin our day," Sheik adds.

Sheik walks over to the fire a ways across the room, sits back turned to Link, and begins sharpening a small weapon, a needle, of sorts.

Link stands for a moment, nervous energy pooling in his chest. After a moment, he takes a deep breath, and starts removing his clothing.

"How do you like it?" Sheik asks, still looking at the fire.

"I'll let you know once I've gotten it on," says Link.

"Hmm," Sheik murmurs softly.

Link is now completely nude, and a feeling dawns over him. He doesn't feel so nervous, he feels.. bold in some way. He stands there for a moment, thinking about the situation, his nakedness, and only him and Sheik in the room. He begins to have strange thoughts, but he instantly feels guilty for them.

"Finished?" Sheik asks.

"Almost," Link answers and he quickly begins to dress.

A few minutes pass.

"Okay," Link says as he's ready and done.

Sheik stands and turns around.

"It fits you nicely."

Link stammers, nothing quite audible coming out. He looks down at himself, and admits only to his self that he does look rather good. He feels more like an adult, in this.

"Thank you, for making this," Link says quietly.

"I see you are finally learning some manners," Shiek quips.

"Yeah.. I.. I guess so," Link agrees.

So odd, Sheik thinks. Well, with age comes some transformations. And he makes a mental note, to stay up to date with Link's clothes. He's growing fast.

"A while ago, when I asked about these stars, you never answered me," Link says, gazing up at the ceiling.

Sheik sits in silence.

"They're not real, I know that now," Link adds.

Together they sit in the same room they've been using for music purposes since the very beginning. The room still feels magical, glowing with greenish effervescence. This is Link's favorite room here. It reminds him of the Lost Woods, in a way.

"And what else do you know, Link?" asks Sheik cryptically.

Link shrugs. "That none of this is real, really."

Sheik strums his lyre, random notes. "Is that so?"

"When I was younger I thought this place actually existed. Now I know that it's all in my head."

Sheik continues playing. "That is not exactly true."

Link holds his ocarina, staring at it. He touches it, almost to convince himself it could disappear if he wanted it to.

"It's not?" Link wonders aloud.

"I'm real," Sheik adds.

"Are you?" Link tilts his head questioningly.

Sheik pauses momentarily, and sets his lyre beside him. "This place is a safe haven, Link. Yes much of it is an illusion, however the people here, are not. Us Sheikah can come and go from this place as needed. You, on the other hand," he adds, "you are here mentally. You see a body, however your real one is still trapped, waiting to be released."

"So this body isn't real?" Link asks.

"It's an extension of your body in the real world."

"If I hurt myself here, does it hurt the other one?" Link asks.

"Yes, in a way," Sheik answers.

Link thinks for a moment. "Will I remember all of this when I wake up?"

Sheik breathes deeply.

"That.. is complicated."

Link looks almost angry, brows pressed together in confusion.

"What do you mean, it's complicated?" Link urges.

Sheik searches for the right words. He looks at Link straight in the eyes, almost peering inside them.

"You will remember some things.. the things that are most important to your quest. Other things will be like deja vu; a feeling like you have encountered it before, should you run across it."

Link thinks for a minute about what was just said.

"I dislike it when you talk like that."

"Do you also dislike learning these songs?" Sheik asks.

Link leans back on his palms. "No, I like them. They feel important, almost as if I will need them someday."

"The songs are similar to the way I talk; it may not be useful to you now, but it will serve a greater, larger purpose for you in the future," Sheik says.

Link looks up at the stars for a moment, and then back to Sheik.

"I understand, actually."

Sheik lifts his brows.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm smarter than I seem to be most of the time," Link teases.

"Then are you ready to begin, Sage of Wisdom? Play a song with me." invites Sheik.

"Whenever you are." Link smiles.

It's an adult smile, this time. It is the first time Sheik notices it.

Sheik lifts his lyre and begins to play.

Link readies his ocarina to his lips. "Oh I know this one. The Requiem of Spirit."

Sheik pays no notice, and continues playing.

And Link begins as well, but this time does not close his eyes. He watches Sheik play the melody, watches his hands pluck the strings, watches each of his fingers slide across them.

The melody continues, and Link continues watching.

Sheik opens his eyes, and both pairs of eyes meet.

Sheik watches.

Link stares.

They continue playing.

Link's heart is thumping wildly, so much so that it hurts. Sheik's eyes penetrate deep into Link's soul, and he can feel it, but can't look away.

Sheik's eyes narrow a bit, and then widen. Epiphany?

For some reason Link can't quite control his body. He feels this strong urge to reach out to Sheik. He doesn't understand it, but he wants it.

And so he sets his ocarina down, and reaches out slowly.

And Sheik reaches out as well, and as their hands near, a flame appears in Sheik's hand.

"Ouch!" Link yells as he touches it, unaware.

Sheik closes his hand and his eyes as well. "There are some things that burn.. and they are best to be avoided."

Sheik stands, and exits the room, leaving behind Link, still clutching his hand and wondering why something that should hurt..

..feels so good.

Year 5

"Come Sheik! Hurry up!" Link exclaims from across the gap.

Link is too busy thinking about how quickly he made it (and before Sheik even!) that he's distracted.

Sheik flips quickly over the gap, over Link, and lands behind him. He taps Link on the shoulder and smirks from underneath his cowl.

"Oooh, you think I can't see that grin, but I can!" Link jokes.

Sheik raises his eyebrows, almost as an invitation, and stands with his arms folded.

"I was wondering if that is really the best you can do," Sheik drawls.

Link smiles and takes off running, jumping from ledge to ledge. It's a race now, and he is going to win.

He hookshots from pillar to pillar, checking behind him every once in a while to see how far Sheik is behind.

Strangely, he doesn't see Sheik at all. He stands for a moment, eyes narrowing, checking his surroundings.

'Where..' Link wonders.

"Sheik?" he yells.

Nothing.

"Sheik!" he yells, louder this time. A somewhat lower voice came out, and it surprised him. He clasped his hand over his mouth.

Sheik drops down from above him, landing softly, and walks closer to Link.

"I thought I may have heard an intruder. I came looking, and this is what I find. Interesting. I almost killed you."

"Very funny," Link mumbles.

Sheik notices then that Link is almost to his shoulders in height. He takes a hand and places it atop Link's head, only for a moment, and thinks aloud.

"How time passes, like a river's flow which never ends.."

The needles slam into the bullseye, one by one, so quick they can almost not be seen by the naked eye.

Sheik walks over and takes them out, readying them for another round.

Link sits by the fire, making adjustments to his outfit which had already grown too small. He watches Sheik too, effortlessly throwing the needles into the target. Each one, hitting the center.

Link wonders then, about how strong Sheik really is.

'He probably could end my life, if he wanted to', he thinks.

He also thinks about whether Sheik is good or bad.

Maybe he isn't really training me to save Hyrule, he ponders.

He starts to have doubts.

"Sheik.." Link begins.

The last needle hits the center of the bullseye loudly. "Yes?" Sheik responds.

Sheik stands, illuminated by the fire, strong but gentle.

"Will I ever really leave this place?" Link asks. He doesn't look up, instead focuses on mending his outfit. He feels bad for asking, and he's never had any reason to distrust Sheik so far, but his mind has been reeling lately over so many unanswered questions.

"Sooner than you realize," Sheik answers. Was there a hint of sadness in his voice?

"Will you be coming with me?"

Sheik sighs and works out the tired muscles in his right arm. He moves closer to Link and sits down beside him, by the fire.

He raises his hand, and in it the white flame appears.

"Link, this is you," he starts, and in the flame Link sees a version of himself, fighting in a very dark place. "And this.. is Princess Zelda," and he sees the Princess screaming, sealed in some sort of magical barrier. "And this is I," and Sheik appears in the flame, bowing subserviant, flickering to darkness. "I am a Sheikah, Link. I am bound by the royal family and as you see, have no true purpose in your tale that is yet to unfold."

"So this is the future, that you hold in your hand?" Link wonders aloud.

"It is all I have the power to see, for fate has a way of changing. That is the human way, the human will."

"Who.. what are you?" Link asks, and he touches Sheik.

"I am a shadow."

And this makes Link sad, and he so very much wants to do something about it, but he does not know what.

Sheik remains stoic to Link's light touch, and Link drops his hand into his lap. They sit for a moment in silence.

"Can I save you?"

Silence.

"No. For I am nothing and you.. are everything. Do not lose track of your true purpose," Sheik says quietly, seemingly adrift somewhere in his mind.

"I have not. I only want to take you out of-"

Sheik interrupts. "Feelings are dangerous."

Link's eyes open wide.

"They are not."

"When you let emotions take hold they cloud your better judgment. They will only cause you pain," Sheik says bitterly.

"I think a hero can both fight and feel!" Link exclaims with frustration.

"There are no feelings on the battle field! When it comes time to save the Princess and should you be presented with a decision there is no room for error, no room for personal feelings! You must act!" Sheik exclaims as well, also in frustration.

"I don't care about the Princess, I care about y-!" And Links stops himself, bringing his hand to his mouth to silence his outburst, and his mistake.

Sheik sits, heavy breathing visible as his chest rises and falls quickly.

"This cannot happen," he says and quickly stands, leaving the room before Link has a chance to recover.

"I didn't mean it.. in that way.." Link justifies to himself. He knows deep down he wants to save the Princess more than anything. It is what he is meant to do.

He thinks back, to what Sheik said,

..When it comes time to save the Princess and should you be presented with a decision..

what decision would he make, if it were Sheik's life, also on the line? Who would he choose?

And that is when Link finally understands what Sheik meant, and how utterly dangerous feelings can sometimes be.

Year 6

Link shoves Sheik to the floor, pinning him down with his hand on the others' chest. He brings out his dagger, and holds it close to Sheik's throat, touching the skin.

"What will you do, Sheikah?" Link growls.

Sheik kicks with both legs from underneath Link, and the hero falls up and backwards, slamming into the ground below him.

Link curses.

Sheik stands up, backing against the wall, ready to jump up to the ceiling for an aerial strike.

"Oh no you don't," Link yells and grabs Sheik by the feet. Sheik recovers quickly and uses a foot to strike Link across the face.

Link flips around, surprised. He grins and charges towards the other man.

Sheik dodges by ducking low, and Link swipes at him with a dagger, missing. Sheik counters by swiping back, cutting clean through the fabric on Link's torso.

Link looks down, not bleeding but upset at the tear, and swipes at Sheik, cutting a large slash across Sheik's chest as well.

Sheik is surprised but kicks low, right underneath Link's footing and he falls again to the ground, hard.

Link managed to grab Sheik as he fell, and he lands on top of Link's body, both men exhaling air from the impact. Sheik holds his dagger close to Link's throat, and Link groans as he pushes Sheik off him, holding onto the fabric on the other man's torso that rips as the two are separated.

In Link's hand, he holds a piece of Sheik's clothing.

Sheik looks down to notice much of his chest exposed.

And a beast came out then in Link, and he grabbed the Sheikah, throwing him against a nearby wall.

Sheik tries to plan his next move but Link is too quick, and in seconds Link has Sheik's hands pinned above his head.

Both are breathing heavily as they stare at eachother, face-to-face, in close proximity.

"Let me go, Hero."

Link squeezes tighter.

"Release me. We are only sparring," Sheik asks anxiously.

Link remains still for a moment, then his expression softens and he lets go.

Sheik rubs his wrists as he looks at Link quizically.

"I apologize. I lost control," Link says.

"That is all right. You fought well," Sheik admits.

But Link does not move, and Sheik is still trapped between a wall and the Hero of Time.

"Link," Sheik starts and he moves forward to open up some space between them.

And such was a mistake because at that moment he felt something near Link's legs, and he knew exactly what it meant.

And Link realizes it too and backs away.

"Good match," Sheik says as he changes the subject and tentatively pats Link on the shoulder, keeping his eye on the hero.

"Yeah," Link responds, still out of breath. "Let's.. get cleaned up."

Sheik sits by the fire, outfit brought down to his waist, tending his scrapes and cuts from the sparring match.

"I.. I'm sorry I hurt you," Link mentions from the other side of the room.

"It's to be expected," Sheik assures.

"Let me help," Link says and ventures over to Sheik, sitting beside him.

The two sit quietly for a moment, as Link takes a fabric bandage and wraps a cut on Sheik's arm. Sheik stares into the fire.

"You did this for me, long ago," Link trails.

Sheik says nothing.

"I hurt myself, on my elbow, and you wrapped it. Do you remember?"

Sheik nods. "Being a stubborn child sometimes has its consequences."

Link laughs softly. "Yes, and I was one, that is for certain."

And they didn't speak for some time, enjoying the silence and the crackling of the fire.

"Hey," Link says and gets up for a moment.

Sheik looks up and watches Link return with his ocarina.

Link sits back down beside Sheik. "Sometimes I would go to the room with stars and practice without you." He holds his ocarina tightly.

Sheik is quiet.

Link continues. "I thought, maybe there is a song that could return someone somewhere, or bring someone to another place."

Link looks Sheik in the eyes.

"I thought, if I create a melody that has the power to transport me to another world, then maybe.. maybe someday I could return to you."

Sheik's eyes open wide, but says nothing.

"For when the time comes that one of us needs to return to eachother quickly.. we'll play the Prelude of Light."

And Link teaches Sheik his song, and this time, Sheik is the one who commits it to memory.

Year 7

"This will be our final lesson," Sheik states as the two sit side by side, gazing up at the stars.

Even as they sit, Link's height now reaches slightly above the other man. He looks at this, and it is the difficult, visual proof that so much time has indeed passed.

"I have taught you all I have been required to," Sheik continues, "and this last task will not require physical strength nor agility, no weapons of any kind."

Link thinks back to the time he has spent in this place, and even though he knows it has been a long while, everything seems muddled together. It has happened, all in a blur, almost as if his mind is slowly separating itself from his form.

He looks at Sheik anxiously, waiting. He tilts his head, a non verbal cue to Sheik that he is ready to hear, what he has to say.

"The final lesson is... letting go."

Link stops, staring at Sheik, puzzled.

"I cannot teach it to you in a straightforward sense, but I can make you aware of it. Sometimes tasks that require the least amount of physical effort, are the hardest to achieve, for they are matters of the heart, and are learned by experiencing them for yourself."

Sheik grabs beside him, and brings a mirror to Link's hands.

"Tell me what you see," Sheik instructs.

Link looks at himself, and instantly notices his pained expression. "I look sad," he says.

"What else?"

"I am much older. I have scars. I am the same, but different. I have lost, I have learned.. I have accepted."

Sheik is quiet for a moment, then asks, "Have you?"

Link closes his eyes tightly, and shakily hands the mirror towards Sheik.

"Sheik, tell me what you see."

He is still for a moment, caught off guard, but hesitantly accepts the mirror from Link. He holds it with both hands, and looks at himself.

"I see a shadow."

"Sheik take off your cowl, and look at yourself."

Sheik looks up at Link in surprise. "You do not know what you ask of me."

"Yeah.. I do. We are learning to let go, are we not? It is time you let go of this shadow, and see yourself for who you truly are," Link urges gently.

Sheik seems mortified. "I do not need to-"

Link grasps Sheik's hand, takes them into his own, and stares intensely in the Sheikah's eyes.

"I need you to. I need it.. to let go."

And Sheik continues to stare, and for the first time Link realizes just how fragile, Sheik can be. Yet Link is of highly determined nature, and Sheik knows this, and he knows he will not win this fight. So he reaches for his cowl with his left hand, and brings it open across his face. He is brave, unfaltering, and he looks Link straight in the eyes, unwavering.

Link is sent into a cataclysmic barrage of emotions as he looks at Sheik really, for the first time. And his heart is thumping wildly and he wants to do so many things, but he is still afraid. Courage to fight is one thing, courage of a different sort, well that's another entirely.

Sheik is brave, and with face unmasked, lifts the mirror up to himself.

"I see a man, deceivingly youthful, but in the eyes.. weathered, ancient, forgotten. I see a shell, only a vessel that contains my life spirit, its purpose to aid me, not to define me." He stops and thinks for a moment. "And Link, why is it so important for you, to see this?"

He looks at Link, and Link can't help but think, that he has never seen someone so beautiful, for Sheik truly was from another place, another time, and staring upon him both humbles Link, entices him, and scares him.

Sheik is talking but Link is not hearing a word, for he is staring at Sheik's lips as they move slowly, forming syllables. He is lost in them.

"Sheik.. I have things I want to say to you.. things I need to tell you.." Link rambles.

And the other man brings a finger to Link lips, and silences him.

"You mustn't," Sheik tells him, and Link listens, for he thinks he has more time, than he truly does.

The walls tremble like an egg wanting to hatch.

Link has been hearing it more and more often, as what seems to be days pass by.

It starts as a low creaking sound and it eminates, until the walls shutter and it sounds as if the place will collapse.

At first Link pays it no notice, and he and Sheik continue to train and practice as usual.

But one day, while Link is shooting illusionary targets with his bow, a particularly large quake happens and throws his aim completely off.

"What - " Link yells in frustration as he lowers his bow to his side. The arrow landed far off to the right, completely missing the target.

Link looks to Sheik, who is standing calmly behind him, arms folded.

"These noises.. what are they? It sounds as if this place with cave in on itself," Link observes aloud.

Sheik glances up at the ceiling and then around the room. It is darker than usual and the air feels very thick.

"Time is running out," Sheik admits.

The news shocks Link. He jogs slowly over to Sheik, confusion written all over his face.

"What do you mean, time is running out?" Link asks.

Sheik takes Link's bow, and fires a shot into the last remaining target, hitting it dead center.

"Like this creature and all things in this world, time rears its head and beckons our departure. We cannot escape it and must heed its call," Sheik laments.

Link looks at the 'dead' creature, and then back at Sheik.

"Time is calling for me?"

"No," Sheik responds, "your time here is ending, and your time as the hero is only beginning."

Link only stares, for he knows not what to say. It has been so very long that he has been in this dreary place, but in it, he has learned more about himself than he could ever have imagined. After all this time, this place feels more like home than any other place in his life.

And in this moment, Link isn't sure he wants to go.

So he takes off running, as far as he can muster.

In the hallways of this unforsaken place, he runs and he cries, but he cries alone, for the Hero of Time sheds no tear in the presence of anyone.

This is his burden he realizes, and he feels guilty he is feeling at all.

'Sheik would be disappointed,' he thinks to himself.

He smashes a fist into the wall, and pieces come crumbling away.

Behind it is a hole, a hole with nothingness, as this place begins to reveal itself as the illusion it truly is.

The walls shake and the earthy groans permeate, and Link realizes..

"What am I doing?" he yells, and begins running back the way he came.

He searches and searches, but finds he has lost his way. He decides to keep running, where to he does not know, until he is pulled suddenly into a room. Rocks from the ceiling come falling down as he ducks and is grasped into familiar arms.

Sheik stands there, holding him, looking into his eyes.

As the walls continue to crumble and beyond them lay patterns of space without color, Sheik removes his cowl, pulls Link's face close, and kisses the Hero of Time.

Link grabs Sheik's hair and reciprocates, owning Sheik's lips with his own in a battle against time itself.

As they separate for a moment, Link presses his forehead against Sheik's and says,

"You do feel."

As Sheik hears this, tears begin to form under his eyes, and he allows Link to kiss him again, and he gives in, relishes it. For from this point on, Link will never remember his time here.

And Link's body in this world begins to deteriorate, and as he fades away Sheik says,

"Link.. I'll see you again.."

Bright light is all Link can see as he wakes.

Finally, when it fades away and he regains his vision, he realizes where he is.

The Temple of Time.

He is terribly confused, and looks down at his body.

Have seven years passed? It must have been a long time, he thinks, that he has been trapped here, for he is much taller and larger somehow.

His head is cloudy and he struggles to remain conscious, and Link stumbles forward, not sure at all yet where he is going to.

Sequel in the works. Story to be continued.

"The flow of time is always cruel...

Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it.

A thing that doesn't change with time,

is a memory of younger days."

- Sheik, The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time

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