The Reign of Something Different

Chapter Six: Eternity

It was a land barren of all greenery and living things other than the poor souls that inhabited the rocky cliffs and molten pools. The temperature of the land rose higher than the magma of the Fire Temple and the temperature of the lava found here was twice as warm. This was the realm of Din, and it was here that Farore sought advice and help from a fellow deity.

"You're loosing him you know." Din commented as her greener sister approached the hewn throne that was Din's favorite spot.

"I figured that out already, Din, but he will not listen to me. I've tried warning him, talking to him, one of the reasons it took so long for him to wake in the first place was that I was communicating with him after all."

"Link is easily manipulated." Din commented and frowned as Farore glared at her. "You see for yourself how easily Zelda talked him into fighting my descendant, and now you see how He has woven His way into Link's heart."

As Din spoke a shriek filled the air and Farore cringed.

"He still screams?"

"Yes. Pathetic really. You think by now Gannandorf would be used to it. He should have realized that until I am satisfied that I have purged his weaknesses from him I won't stop the pain." Din shrugged. "Hopeless case I tell you."

"Agreed, but what are we going to do about my descendant?"

"Sister dear, I have been waiting for days for you to ask that." Din grinned. "It's very simple. We trapped him before, we can simply do it again."

"But he broke free from that."

"With the help of Zelda seven years ago because she wanted to make sure that Link was protected from Gannandorf."

Farore's smile grew to match Din's. "I think we should pay a visit to Nayru's descendant and tell her exactly what has 'happened' to poor Link."

"Oh let me do the talking." Din giggled. "Lying is so much fun."

Sheik spoke as if he was reciting information out of a text book. Were he not to do this, he was sure he would not be able to move from one sentence to the next. Sheik did not look at Link as he spoke, though he could feel the Hyrulian's unwavering eyes on his own person. Were he to look at Link, he would not be able to speak at all. Any resolve he might have had before Link's arrival was gone. All that was left were turbulent emotions, emotions that Sheik could not remember having before. He did not know how to deal with these new found feelings, therefore he did not address them. His last words died away and for a few minutes there was silence, a silence that seemed at the time to be louder than any other sound that might have been heard.

Both stood in silence, one watching the other, the other waiting. Finally Link spoke. "Do you know what your words just implied Sheik?"

Crimson met cornflower. "Of course I do."

A small smile worked it's way through Link's lips. "Then we shouldn't have a problem."

Sheik's eyes widened slightly as Link quickly closed the gap between them and threw his arms around Sheik, satin caressing silk as their lips touched. Energy lanced between their bodies in the places where flesh touched flesh. It seemed to swirl and dance about them, spreading throughout the realm as the two worshiped each other. Platinum and gold, crimson and cornflower, two bodies entwining around each other, blissfully unaware of all that surrounded them.

And while that realm rejoiced in their union, there was another that prepared to destroy them....

Zelda awoke that night with a start. Link... oh no.

She ran hurriedly through the halls of the castle, dressed in her nightgown and a robe that she had quickly thrown over herself, ocarina in hand, heading towards the Temple of Time.

Din smiled gleefully. Everything was working perfectly. Soon everything would be as it should.

Farore calmly waited for the return of her descendant. Once Link was given back his life again, the memory of His trickery would disappear.

Nayru frowned. She didn't like tricking her descendant. Nothing good could come of this.

The Fierce Deity awoke with a start to the sound of a soothing melody that echoed horribly through the very walls of his Citadel. He recognized that tune... but why would-

And then he realized who would be playing and why. A horrible tune, created by Nayru that would send one back in time permanently.

Link's body stirred against his own and the Hero of Time's eyes opened sleepily. "Sheik... what's going on? I feel funny."

Sheik felt his anger rising against his control, as Link's body began to glow. They were sending him back in time, so far back that everything of this life would be a shadowed memory. Sheik wanted to scream, wanted to shout, wanted to cry as he felt the magic begin to encircle Link, despite the constant stream that he was emitting, trying to stop it. But the song's cheerful notes continued, and Sheik felt his magic slam up against a wall, one he remembered too well, one he had fought against before. The goddesses had made a mistake yet again in that they underestimated the power of Nayru's descendant. Instead of sending only Link back in time, Zelda had sent Sheik back as well... back to his imprisonment in the same mask she had freed him from. But since Gannandorf would not exist in this time, the mask would never be sold to Impa in Hyrule... no he would stay in Termina. But Sheik would wait...

Sheik would wait for an eternity if he had to.

The End

NOW BEFORE ANYONE MURDERS ME IN MY SLEEP FOR THIS, READ THE NOTE! Sheesh, yes this is the end of the story. Reign was to connect Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask in a different way, with a Sheik and Link romance which is tragic because of the way the world works, and the fact that Majora's Mask has to happen. Ya know, keeping the story cannon, if you want to know the terminology. HOWEVER, I have written an epilogue or "add-on second ending" to satisfy everyone who wants the pair to live happily-ever-after (and secretly I'm one too). I'm sure anyone who's thinking noticed that Sheik's mask is not moving from Termina... see what I'm getting at?

The epilogue/alternative ending takes place after all the events in Majora's Mask.

The Reign of Something Different

Epilogue

Link looked carefully at the designs of the mask he held in his hands, the war paint so familiar, the contours of the face as he ran his hands over carved wood seeming as if he should know them. And he should... after all he had used the mask of the Fierce Deity... but this felt different, and had felt different ever since he had acquired the mask. But what was so strange about it?

The eyes of the wooden mask seemed to pierce into his own, as if they burned with their own fire in the crimson orbs. Familiar eyes, eyes he was sure he had seen for real... somewhere.

These eyes haunted his sleep, sometimes full of sadness as they watched him from the dark shadows of his nightmares, sometimes full of joy as he dreamed of something pleasant. But always they watched him. Why? What did he not know? He was one of the few who remembered the details of a darker Hyrule, when he had fought Gannandorf seemingly so long ago. The sages remembered only in their dreams, but he remembered every detail. He remembered falling for Sheik, foolishly of course. Sheik did not exist, was only a frigment of Zelda's imagination. But...

Link looked at the eyes again. These were Sheik's eyes looking back at him, he was sure of it. And if these were Sheik's eyes, then Sheik's eyes and the eyes of the Fierce Deity were one and the same. Link blinked slowly as the cataracts opened and memories flowed down and around him. Sheik, the Fierce Deity, were one and the same, imprisoned by the Goddesses in a mask... until Zelda freed him. Well, if Zelda could do it, why couldn't he?

The triforce on his hand glowed with it's ungodly light, and Link braced himself as the power flowed through him, reaching out through the wall of wood and paint, to wind around another's power, pulling substance from space, a soul from void, life from unliving.

Link happily collapsed into strong arms as Sheik held him. Kisses rained down upon his lips and face as joy overtook them both.

"I love you Sheik." Link murmured, seeing the crimson eyes he'd dreamed of so many times light with joy.

"I would have waited an eternity for you to release me Link." Sheik murmured back. "And now we can spend an eternity together."

The End

(for real this time)

Wow, this took so much longer than I planned for it to take, but it's finally done. Thank you soo much to all the reviewers who stood by this story and ever so patiently kicked my rear into action when it was needed. It truly was a joy to write this. If someone knows of a plot bunny they would love to see become a fic, but feel they do not want to be the one to write it, I would be happy to do so. I would send the chapters through the requester almost like a beta for the plot line before I post it, and in my disclaimer I would say who the plot came from. So until I'm hit with another Link/Sheik plot bunny I'll say good-bye to you all and return to my work on my other stories.

Signed,

the

Flower of Black Fire