Look who's back after four and a half years.

That's right. It's ya girl, Beautiful Creation.

I'm so dreadfully sorry for leaving y'all hanging the way I did. I feel horrible for ditching my stories but to be fair, a LOT has happened from 2015 to 2019. My life has been flipped around, turned upside down and yeeted across space and time! Hahaha-

NOW THEN, ENOUGH WITH THIS TATER TOT'S RAMBLING.

LET'S GET ON WITH THE STORY!

Several days had passed since Link had spoken with Sheik. It had also been the last time he'd seen her.

The king had not been happy with Link's news.

"I was told you were the best of the best," Ganondorf had bellowed at the knight, his face curling into a sneer. "All I'm seeing now is someone playing at being a hero when truly he's only mediocre. Here I am thinking that I should possibly hire another, or simply do something about it myself."

"I apologize, Your Majesty," Link bowed his head in shame.

The king sighed and rubbed a large hand over his face. "Do you at least have a lead?" he asked tiredly.

"Well, I've encountered the Sheikah woman multiple times within these few weeks, but I couldn't catch her." Link swallowed at the king's glare but still he continued. "However, I do know she interacts with the people of Kakariko Village. A little girl, especially. I'm getting closer each day, your Majesty. will not cease in my search for her. You have my word, I will find her."

Ganondorf nodded slowly. "See to it that you do, lest your job be given to someone else."

Link had tried searching for her again, but without any clues of her current whereabouts, he had little knowledge of where to start. He simply decided to look through the forest again for the tenth time that day.

"Maybe this isn't worth the effort, Link," Navi sighed from her spot on Link's shoulder.

Link looked at the fairy with confusion. "What makes you say that?" He asked. "Don't you feel... a little bit guilty?"

Her companion stopped walking altogether at her question. Flying off of his shoulder and up to eye level, she continued. "I mean, she stole from the King and all, but we're hunting her down like she's an animal or something."

Navi looked away expressionless. "I guess I just don't like how all this is turning out." Link stared at the blue woman, confused by her uncharacteristic behavior.

"Well, I don't like how it is either, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to call it quits and ditch my mission." A moment later, she nodded. "Come on, Navi. It'll be okay," the knight reassured her. "Let's keep searching for a little while longer, and then we'll go get something to eat, alright?"

Navi only nodded once more before slipping underneath his cap, leaving Link to his thoughts. Why are you acting this way, Navi? Did I say or do something to bother you? With a sigh, Link felt it'd be better to talk to her about it later.

Crack!

Quicker than the Running Man himself, Link rolled into a nearby bush.

What am I facing off against now? A moblin? More wolfos? He thought while slowly unsheathing his sword.

A little redheaded girl came bouncing along the dirt path, lost in her own little world as she sang to the trees she passed by.

... A little girl?

After seeing her face a bit more clearly, Link realized that this child was Mary, the girl who followed Sheik around.

Alright! Maybe she'll lead me to the Sheikah, he thought with excitement and quickly made his way behind her as she sang a soothing melody to herself.

"Present, past, and truth unite. Awaken to the morning light. Hide your darkest doubts and fears away in me! Back and forth through space and time you'll stay with me! Careful to not overlook the unseen…"

Link tailed behind her, craning his neck to see without getting caught. Humming quietly now, Mary skipped down the path and took a sudden right turn. Link followed cautiously, avoiding twigs and leaves strewn across the ground. It's like someone booby-trapped this place. He almost laughed at the thought.

"Wait a minute," The knight slowed to a stop. "Where'd she go?" He had been so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't even realized that the girl was nowhere in sight.

Link leapt out from his position in the bushes and into the path. He knew this would blow his cover, but if something had happened to Mary, he'd never forgive himself. She was only several feet away and she just disappears?

He continued walking until he came to a crossway. Deciding to go right, he walked until he came upon a very familiar clearing. "Wait a second…" Looking around, he groaned. "This is just like the Lost Woods! I'm back where I started!"

He went right again, this time coming up to a different clearing. The knight tried his luck by going left this time. Yet another clearing. "Okay, I went right and then left," Link whispered. "Maybe I should go-"

"Who are you?"

Link spun with his sword in hand, preparing to slice any foe that had snuck up on him. He looked around where he had heard the voice before lowering his gaze to the child that barely came up to his thigh.

"Hello," Mary chirped, blinking up at him. Link sighed in relief and slid his sword back into its sheath. "Hello there," he replied with a smile.

"Are you a knight?"

"Yes, I am."

"What are you doing here?"

"I, um…" Link hesitated. He couldn't say he was searching for Sheik. Mary was her friend and would most likely blow his cover to save her. "I was just taking a walk. What about you?"

"I was playing with a friend," the girl replied as a matter-of-factly. "Are you lost?" Mary squinted up at him in suspicion, but Link found it hard to take her pouty face seriously.

Link chuckled, kneeling down to her eye level. "Maybe. So, where is your friend now?" He raised an eyebrow and looked around, surveying the trees for his target.

"She had to go home," Mary crossed her arms and glanced behind her for a moment before taking a deep breath. "I have to go home too! I can't stay with you, Mister Knight."

It was his turn now to cross his arms. "Oh?"

"Yeah, my sisters won't be happy if they see me talking to you. They don't like knights. They say they're bad guys!"

Link knew he must have made an appalled expression, but he couldn't fight the shock he felt at hearing her words. "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute! Bad guys? How are we the bad guys?"

Mary eyeballed him with disgust written all over her face. "You and the king take all our money," she declared. "You don't leave enough food for us either. We're only doing good now because we got our money back!"

"But I don't do that!" Link tried to reassure her. He could begin to feel doubt creeping into his mind about this whole situation, but he still wished to find Sheik. For one reason or another. Suddenly, Link's mind processed the last bit of Mary's claim. Wait… got their money back?

"But you are a knight!" Mary stuck her bottom lip out indignantly. "If you follow that ugly king, you're a bad guy and I shouldn't be talking to you!" With that said, the little girl turned on her heel and took off down the path, kicking up the dirt behind her in her haste.

Link opened his mouth to call her name, but closed it once he saw her tiny figure disappear into the woods. Sighing as he stood, the knight turned back around to face the fork in the road.

Navi poked her head out and looked into one of Link's blue eyes. "Did you hear what she said?"

"The bit about getting their money back?" Link glanced up at his fairy and nodded. "Yeah, I heard."

"That means someone gave it back to them," Navi whispered, her eyes wide with revelation. "Do you think… maybe…?" she trailed off, hoping Link would catch on quickly.

Link had no need to act surprised. He already knew.

"Sheik."

At the sound of her name, Sheik smirked from her place in the trees. "So he's finally figured it out," she whispered to herself.

Sheik crossed her arms over her chest, a strange sense of pride washing over her as she watched the blond knight converse with his fairy companion.

It certainly took him long enough.

With a renewed motivation residing in her heart, the Sheikah walked to the edge of the branch she stood upon.

"What do we do now?" Navi sighed and pulled on her hair in frustration. "It turns out the bad guy is the good guy and the good guy is the bad guy!"

"I… I don't know, Navi," Link muttered. "We'll just have to-"

"You'll just have to listen to me from now on."

Link and Navi froze at the sound of a third voice. A voice they knew all too well at this point. The knight brought his gaze to the foliage above him and spotted the familiar figure within the green leaves.

"So you finally decided to show up?" He called out, shrugging his shoulders in what he thought looked like nonchalance. It looked more like defeat.

"Of course, once you finally figured out who the real criminal is."

"... Touché," Link muttered, rubbing the back of his neck with a sigh. "After thinking everything over, I realized this whole situation involves more than a few stolen rupees. The king seemed really on edge when I told him I still hadn't caught you, and everyone acts strangely whenever I approach them or mention the king."

With a silent chuckle, the woman dropped from the tree and landed gracefully in front of Link. "You now understand his true character. Am I correct?"

"Well..." Link trailed and lowered his gaze. "I guess so. I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything." He closed his eyes and let out the breath he'd been holding. "So King Ganondorf is definitely the enemy…?"

The Sheikah nodded.

"And you've only been helping the innocent."

She nodded once more.

"Okay, I've got all that, but why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?" Link said before crossing his arms with a glare.

Sheik raised an eyebrow slowly. "You would not have believed me."

Link opened his mouth to retaliate but found himself at a loss for words. She was right. He wouldn't have believed her.

"Wow," Navi giggled from her place in Link's hair. "She has a comeback for every one of your comebacks! It reminds me of the old days!"

Sheik's red eyes narrowed in confusion. "Oh? How so, little fairy?"

"Well, he—"

"That's not important," Link interrupted, holding a hand up to stop Navi from continuing. "What is important, however, is finding out what our next move is."

"You are right," she agreed. "Ganondorf is much worse than you think he is. He does more than just steal money. I've been fighting tooth and nail to remove that beast from the throne, but it's never been enough." Making a fist, Sheik stared at the ground with disappointment written all over her face until she looked back up at Link. "But now we have you. You have a choice. You can do the right thing and help us, or…"

Link cringed. "You really think I'd side with the king now that I know what's been going on? As if."

Sheik smiled underneath her cowl.

"Um, guys?" Navi whispered, fear laced in her tone as she pointed to the sky. "What's that?"

The pair both looked up and their hearts stopped at what they saw.

Black smoke.

"That's in the same direction as Kakariko!" Link gasped, his eyes widening in shock as the king's last words to him rang in his ears.

"Here I am thinking that I should hire another, or simply do something about it myself."

Surely he hadn't. He couldn't. He wouldn't… would he?

Link could see the wheels turning in Sheik's head and before he could reach out to her, she took off in a sprint.

"Sheik, wait! Don't! It's a trap!"

Sheik had to know this already. But even if she did, it hadn't stopped her for even a second.

Oh wow… I can't believe I'm finally done with chapter eleven… it's been so long.

And once more for emphasis, I am truly sorry for leaving this story on such a cliffhanger for years.

I'm moving to another house next week and I've become both an older sister and an artist within these past four years, so I may be a bit busy between now and then, but I will certainly try to finish the next chapter WDA.

After all… there isn't much left now, is there? ;)

-BC