Chapter Thirty: Interlude – Relaxation

.oOo.

Title: Legend of Zelda - The True Force

Chapter: 30

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Action/Adventure

Disclaimer: *checks pockets* I have five bucks. I don't own this.

Description: A modern Hyrule is in chaos. After reconstruction from the receding sea, the New Hyrule is literally built from the ashes of the Old Kingdom. However, history is destined, or rather, determined to repeat itself.

Author's Notes-

PLEASE READ: There is a section of NSFW smut in this chapter. If that isn't your cup of tea, please skip from right after the dance sequence to the next to last line break.

Dragon Age is still a huge obsession, but I think I'm dealing with it? Either way, I'm getting pretty close now. I know I'll probably need at least two chapters for Ganon's Tower, and maybe I'll have an epilogue. Also there's this chapter… so four chapters total, including this one. Also, very little plot happens in this chapter?

Most of it is towards the beginning and the end and a whole lot of NSFW smut in the middle. I hadn't originally intended for there to be any not safe for work bits at all, but Link and Ashei's characters had other ideas and… well. That worked out, didn't it? And I recommend listening to Sting's 'Desert Rose' for the dance sequence. It has the sound I had in mind to suit the mood.

Anyway, we're nearing the end, folks! Stick with me here!

(And pray I don't write myself into a corner and have to pull a Stephen King or something, because I'm reaching that weird territory where Jedi and magic don't mix. Nice.)

Well enjoy. I slaved over a sticky keyboard for you. :)

Link's eyes were still stinging when they arrived back at the military complex a few hours later after slowly picking their way back using the signposts. He wanted to attribute it more to the sand getting in his eyes than the soft, thrumming echoes of Nabooru's grief that he could occasionally feel pulsing in time with his own heart.

But it was very hard to ignore the tears that held at the edges of his vision.

Ashei glanced over in his direction occasionally, her mind brushing against his, fretting over him. He smiled, and immediately felt her relax, though she let her thoughts run alongside his to keep him calm. She seemed to understand, somehow, just exactly what the Spirit Medallion had given him.

She was all too familiar with grief, as he understood it.

He let his thoughts run over into hers, whispering a quiet thank you of understanding before he put up his barriers again.

Dimly, the thought struck him what it would feel like to have their thoughts and feelings running together like one big stream during sex. Then his cheeks flushed and beside him Ashei giggled aloud, making everyone turn their heads to her in surprise.

"What's so funny?" Anakin asked, "Dirty thought strike you or something?"

Ashei laughed and attempted to suppress a snort. "Something like that," she shot back at him, before glancing at Link and winking. Link was thankfully spared the agony of her closeness however, because she pulled her thoughts away from his own to focus on the two Gerudo women who stood waiting for them at the gate leading back to the complex.

"Made it back in one piece, I see," Basht drawled, a smile teasing the edge of her lips.

"And I'm sure you noticed that the river is returning to normal!" Pashli chattered excitedly next to her, "That means we might be able to go out and visit the temple again! It's been ages since I've been…"

Basht chuckled, waving a dusky colored hand in Pashli's direction to encourage her silence. "Hush, dear. Why don't you go see to tonight's festivities? And… see to it that the people in the town are careful not to overdo it. We don't want to tip our hand too early, yes?" Pashli nodded, suddenly a little more sober than usual. "I… yes. I'll go do that. If you could… you know, debrief them for me? That would be great, thanks."

Basht hummed in agreement while she watched Pashli scamper off eagerly.

"Well," she said, turning to them after she was sure Pashli had gone, "I suppose we should retire to somewhere more… private to discuss what you saw out in the desert? People already know that whatever evil has been set over it these seven years past has been lifted somehow and will be wanting a story, if not an explanation."

She jerked her head towards the complex, a silent invitation.

"Let's go decide what to tell them, yes? So we can let our people celebrate for a night before sending you off in the morning."

"We're waiting that long?" Obi-Wan asked carefully. "Shouldn't we be leaving to finish what we came here to do?" Basht shrugged. "You could, but I would advise against it. Night is falling, if you weren't already aware. He would likely expect such an early assault. I know my king, even if I no longer know him as I once did. No, you should rest tonight. Gather your strength. Perhaps even enjoy some of the festivities?"

She laughed softly. "Though, I doubt any of you know much about our dances, I would suspect."

Ashei cleared her throat as they entered one of the open doors in the stone and were being escorted to wherever Basht had given orders to lead them. "Well… that's… not entirely true." She blushed and shifted her clothing as though the heat of the day had suddenly caught up with her all at once.

Basht noticed her discomfort and burst into laughter.

"Oh, do tell, priestess! Exactly how much do you know?"

Ashei frowned, but the apparent flush of her cheeks made it difficult to appear anything less than embarrassed.

"I, eh… enough!" She finally managed. "But, I'll need a change of clothes, if I'm going to participate. I only know some of the more… intimate ones, though. And those dances tend to be rather…"

"Heated?" Basht supplied, her voice a throaty purr. Ashei growled.

"I'll see to it you get them," Basht laughed. "And don't worry about your partner, I'm sure they'll be just fine with watching until the, ah… heat gets to him. Oh, excuse me, them. I assure you, after that point, a change of clothing is no longer necessary." And then she descended into fit of laughter, while Ashei glared daggers at her back and her companions all stared at her with varying degrees of confusion and comprehension.

It was Link who realized what the two of them had been alluding to, so he took a chance at something and muttered to her under his breath, "You know, I wouldn't mind it if you… danced for me." He grinned upon seeing her blush, and whispered into her thoughts so that the Jedi couldn't hear:

If it… would help make you more comfortable, that is.

She blinked at him, stupefied. But after a moment her shoulders relaxed and she nodded her ascent before following the Jedi into the 'debriefing' room.

They were sitting around a small lantern on little pallets again, and when Basht tilted her head towards Link in a silent invitation to begin, he began to relay the bits of the story he knew, while Ashei, Anakin, and Obi-Wan occasionally piped in the fill the rest of his gaps. After it was all said and Basht had taken a few moments to take it all in, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"So… our queen is not lost to us," she said quietly, a tired expression creeping over her face. "That is… not the news I was expecting. I suppose I should have, seeing how you all fought our soldiers in the mining complex, it just seemed a bit too much to hope for." Without Pashli by her side, Link could tell that the woman had trouble keeping her spirits up even in the face of good news. He cleared his throat and caught her gaze when she looked up.

"Your king may not be lost to you either," he reminded her.

"I mean, now that's something that I wouldn't hold out hope for, but you can rest assured that I'm still going to try. Can't say I know what it's like to have your mind poisoned little by little while you're being controlled at the same time, but… you have to figure it's got to be a terrible way to die, right?"

A smile tugged at the edges of her lips again, and the light of the lantern seemed to set a spark in her sad eyes.

"Well, if anyone can save our king from himself, it would be you, Hero."

Link winced. "Please, not… don't start with that." Basht chuckled. "Well, you're going to have to suffer it for at least an evening. I can't exactly tell our people the truth about what happened out there, so I'll have to spin a story instead. And it doesn't matter how I tell it, you'll be a hero to them." Then she seemed to remember something and her gaze turned from appreciative to appraising as she looked him over.

"I think, perhaps, I should see about finding you some proper attire for tonight. Do the four of you mind splitting rooms for the evening? If I'm to see to all the arrangements I'll have to make certain you have at least a certain degree of privacy, yes?" Her eyes glinted with mirth, and Link wasn't certain if he should be embarrassed or glad he was able to make her smile again.

"It shouldn't be a problem," Obi-Wan said slowly, looking between Link and the Gerudo woman with interest. Link wondered if the older man knew what the subtext of their conversations of the past half hour had been about. The Jedi caught his gaze and smiled slightly before Link looked away.

Probably. No, certainly. He had to know, the man wasn't stupid.

Poor Anakin seemed a little clueless, though. And he would remain so if Link could help it. He wanted to keep his affairs secret for the moment.

"Alright then," Basht said as she pushed herself off the floor, calling for one of the guards. She asked him to show the two Jedi to their room, and nodded in Obi-Wan's direction.

"I can supply you with a map if I must. The tiers' tunnel system can be a bit confusing even to those of us who live here. But you should be able to find your way to the plaza where our festivities are being held tonight. Once the sun sets is when we're likely to start, so you have until then to have a quick bath or tend to any wounds that you may have. That is, if you Jedi even do this sort of thing."

Obi-Wan chuckled, surprising Anakin, who stared at him in amazement.

"Once, Basht, I was a young man who enjoyed and even preferred to go out and… enjoy the festivities just about anywhere they could be had, even if they were limited to only me, myself, and I." He shrugged when Basht raised a single eyebrow in question. "I don't partake as much as I did, but it isn't expressively forbidden to do so, as long as it is done in moderation."

Anakin tilted his head, a grin springing to his lips. "Master? Could I…?"

Obi-Wan glanced at him, looking him over. Anakin's smile began to fade when he didn't answer right away, but finally Obi-Wan held up a finger and held him in a stern gaze.

"You may go and enjoy yourself, padawan. But! Do keep your hands to yourself, yes? We have still have to cheat death once more tomorrow, and I hope I don't have to tell you how unpleasant that will be while battling a hangover. Do you understand?"

Anakin nodded fervently. "Of course, Master!" Obi-Wan grinned, and then turned to face Basht. "I think we're ready, hmm? And I think a map would be nice, it will certainly help us in finding out room again after we're done celebrating." Basht nodded. "I'll have one sent, thank you." And she nodded again to the soldier she'd summoned who left to show the Jedi to their room.

After they were gone, Basht tilted her head towards Link and Ashei.

"Now, the two of you should follow me. I'll make sure to get you a map as well, unless you think you can remember where to go?"

Ashei shrugged. "A map is fine. We should have no trouble finding our way to the plaza, I think." Basht hummed noncommittally as she opened the door to a room not far from where the Jedi had been led to, but she stopped Ashei before she entered, a smile at her lips.

"Now, now. I wish to take you to Pashli so she can help you dress the part for tonight." She outright grinned in Link's direction. "Someone will be along soon with some clothing for tonight. But don't take too long, they'll also be waiting outside to escort you to the plaza – you are our guest of honor, after all. Can't have you just walking in on your own."

Link rolled his eyes and sighed. Figures. He leaned over to catch Ashei's eyes and nodded his ascent. "It's fine, Ashei. Go with Basht. I'll… see you tonight," he finished, feeling his face heat up.

Mercifully, Basht merely smiled at him this time.

"Might I suggest having a few glasses of wine before you retire for the evening?" She said to no one in particular. "It'll help you relax but not leave you with a pounding headache in the morning. Trust me."

Link nodded. He knew things tonight weren't likely to be perfect, but if a little alcohol could help rid him of a few of his jitters, he wasn't going to complain. So he nodded to Basht as she led Ashei away to get dressed for the festivities, closing the door to their room behind him. It was about the size of the room they'd shared in Kakariko, with sparse but elegant furnishings and a few desert plants. He idly wondered if they were synthetic, since these had to be guest rooms for all that they hardly looked lived in, and it wasn't long after that when he heard the knock at the door.

He had just removed all of his gear and the outer layers of his tunic when he heard it, Navi having settled down inside his hat for the night – to give him and Ashei privacy for later, he assumed. The door opened to reveal that same Gerudo boy from before, holding a small box that Link assumed contained the clothing he was expected to wear tonight.

He smiled at the boy as he took the box, pleased to see a familiar face.

"Hey, I remember you from the other day," he said brightly, "You came to wake us for the sauna, right?" The boy nodded. "Yes, sir. I'm supposed to escort you to the plaza after you're dressed, and the Commander told me to–"

"To hurry and get dressed, yes." Link finished. "I had forgotten how fast night falls here. Well, I won't keep you waiting, if… if you'll just give me a few moments, please."

The boy nodded, and Link closed the door and set the box down before removing everything save for his underwear. He was glad of that, as the only clothes provided were a pair of dark breeches that fit firmly around his lower back to his thighs but fell loose around his ankles, a sheer long-sleeved undershirt that appeared to be an opaque white of some description, and a gold silk vest with blue accents, to match his eyes, he supposed.

There were also a pair of slippers nearly the same color as the breeches, which felt strange to him at first, so accustomed as he was to always wearing boots, but their soles were firm enough that he realized he might not even know if he stepped on a pebble unless it ended up inside the slippers themselves.

"Shall I leave the box here," he asked the boy when he opened the door, "or give it to you?" The boy shook his head. "Someone will be by later to pick it up before you return back. We should hurry, you're supposed to be there before the celebrations start." Link grunted. "I… must say I'm still not entirely comfortable with this. I dislike being the center of attention. Mostly because, for me, that means there's something that wants to eat me or something of that nature, so I suppose it's not so surprising…"

The Gerudo boy laughed a little.

"I'm afraid that I cannot compare. But if it helps, you've done more than just lift a curse on the desert. You have given us hope, and that is something that few people can do even in normal circumstances. Surely you see how we wish to thank you for that?"

Link nodded slowly, mulling over this new information. "I… hadn't known that. Thank you for telling me. What is… what is your name, anyway? Or are you not allowed to say?"

The boy shook his head. "No, I can tell you. It is just that no one usually asks. I am Ilari. Anyway, thanks again for what you've done for us."

Link nodded, and he managed to take the raised seat of soft pillows he was led to with more amount of grace than he thought himself capable of. Shortly after that, the sun dipped beneath the lip of the valley completely and the sky began darkening ever rapidly. Once the sky was completely dark, the lanterns strung up around the small city in an instant, mimicking the bright red-orange glow of the central plaza's bonfire.

The groups of Gerudo went eerily silent as Basht took center stage by the bonfire and gestured to Link, who sat rigidly upright with his legs crossed stiffly one over the other.

He noticed that there were some men among the crowds now as well, some even wearing military garb. Most of those that wore military clothing were older, probably part of the military over ten years ago if not more. The rest appeared to be from all walks of life: painters, bakers; craftsmen. A few were serious and somber (too many appeared to be young men and women even younger than he was), but many were smiling happily, even directing those smiles toward him. It was a strange feeling, to feel the admiration of a people who barely knew him.

But suddenly seeing all these people made it worth it.

"Many of you know that the curse that has lain over the desert these past seven years has now been lifted," Basht began, her voice magnified by magic. Link could tell it was magic because it lingered in the air left by her words as they faded. She gestured to him again, saying, "We owe it all to this man, who, without being asked, entered the desert with his companions of his own accord and cleansed the desert of the Rova sisters' poison.

"Tonight, we drink to them. To him. To hope, and the dawn of a new day!"

She turned sharply and gave a nod to where a couple of the Gerudo stood holding instruments. "Music!" she called, and immediately the air was filled with drumbeats and a fast moving pattern of strings and a few other instruments that he couldn't place but decided he quite liked the sounds of.

It wasn't long after that when Basht joined him on a slightly lower raised seat of pillows, motioning for a plate of fruits, meats, and an assortment of cheeses was brought for their selection.

"Please, do take whatever you like," she told him conversationally, "this is in your honor, after all." Link nodded mutely as he picked at the cheeses before moving onto either the fruits or meat. He tilted his head so he could catch her gaze. "I thought Ashei was supposed to be… dancing? Or is that later?" Basht chuckled softly as she plopped a grape into her mouth, relishing the taste before swallowing in order to reply.

"That is more towards the end of the evening, yes, when everyone has had the chance to get well and suitably drunk. Speaking of which, didn't I tell you to indulge in a glass or two of wine?" She motioned for another Gerudo woman who was carrying an earthen jug of what Link guessed had to be wine.

The serving girl also brought them two crystal goblets and filled them with the appropriate amount of liquid. "Would you like me to leave the jug, Commander?" she asked, and Basht nodded.

"If you would, please. Thank you."

She held up her glass to Link and motioned for him to do the same. "Twirl it about in the glass first to let it breathe a bit. Smell it briefly to ascertain the taste, and watch for the size of the beads that trail along the sides of the glass. It helps one appreciate the vintage." Link watched and listened intently as he learned how to judge a wine properly before even tasting it.

"I must tell you," he told her after she finished, "I've never had anything quite… like this before. Only some Chateau Romani and some very strong teas," he finished with a sheepish smile. Basht laughed softly.

"Well, don't guzzle it: this is wine, not water. Remember to have some of that as well though, it helps dilute it some. And eat some of the meats, or cheeses. Digesting food along with the alcohol helps keep you from filling up on too much wine." She sipped at her glass. "Try a little at a time, if that helps."

Link nodded, pressing the glass to his lips and pouring it back just enough to let a little of it fall against his tongue.

The sweetness of it hit him first, though the bitter warmth of the alcohol came shortly after he swallowed, and he felt it run all the way through him as he took another sip. Remembering Basht's advice, he took a few pieces of meat and chewed on them while he took a sip of water to wash it down. Eventually he finished the glass and was feeling quite pleasantly warm all over.

"I wouldn't recommend more than another glass or two," she told him as she poured them both more wine. "One, to avoid that nasty headache and sensitivity to light and sound that such indulgences tend to provide, and the second is that some men find it difficult to… perform in the bedroom when under the influence of too much alcohol." Link flushed, though he wondered how well it would show in the light of the fire. He snorted, a little emboldened by the heat bubbling in his belly.

"From what I've read, even if I do suffer such a problem, that shouldn't stop me from giving that sort of thing to my partner, Basht."

Basht laughed, the sound descending into a fit of giggles.

"Well now," she said through her laughter, "so the young hero does know a thing or two about women after all! But you know, you're young. The drink shouldn't affect you that much where that's concerned, but you should limit your consumption if you want to be anything close to competent when the morning comes." She snorted, and Link frowned until something clicked in his head and he sighed. "That was… terrible, you know that right?"

Basht grunted as she swallowed another mouthful of water.

"Made all the more terrible because it was unintended," she muttered, but she still laughed a little to herself as the wine began to take effect.

Link couldn't say when exactly the music began to change from the upbeat thrumming and plucking strings to something a little more… suggestive. Could music even emulate such qualities? Perhaps it could. Basht nudged him, gesturing to the crowds.

"I do believe everyone has gotten good and drunk, yes? And they've yet to see you dance. It's customary."

Despite the drink, Link spluttered. "I, what? I don't know how!"

She chuckled. "Well, there's not a whole lot of actual dancing involved. Not on your part, anyway. Guests of honor are usually danced for, by pretty women looking to bed them. Lucky you, to already have such a woman willing to dance for you." Link sat up straighter, suddenly realizing who Basht was referring to. The drumbeats became softer, but more precise, a flute intermingling with the soft shaking of the instruments he couldn't name, and a gentle vocalization carried over the air.

That was when he spotted her.

People parted for her as she danced, twirling and moving her arms in slowly calculated movements that would look fluid to anyone who wasn't accustomed to such precision. Her dark hair fell freely behind her, though it was bound in the same style as the Gerudo women bound theirs. She wore similar clothing as they did: loose fitting pants tied firmly around the waist, soft silk slippers and a strapless top bound tightly around her chest which left very little to the imagination, all of it in blue satin trimmed with gold.

Link shifted uncomfortably on his pillows, doing his best to watch her eyes and not… other things.

She drew closer until she was almost on top of him, her gaze catching his. It was only now that he noticed she wore a sheer, veil-like a kerchief above her lips, tied behind her head. Blue hoops dangled in each ear, gleaming softly.

Her hips moved in similarly fluid motions in time with her arms and legs. It was so mesmerizing, Link had to catch himself twice before he fell over the edge of his seat for having leaned forward so far. He wanted to blush, but the wine and the heat of the fire already had his skin to blazing, and watching Ashei move so… fluidly in time with the music wasn't helping matters. At some point though, he stopped feeling embarrassed and his thoughts brushed hers (whether by accident or intention he couldn't tell), and she grinned at him, stalking forward.

She untied her kerchief wrapping it and unwrapping it around her hands as she twirled and crept forward ever closer. Finally the music reached its crescendo, the vocalization no longer forming words but movements of pure sound, and when the fabric was pulled around his head and her lips claimed his in a fierce, passionate kiss, the sound paused for a moment before at last resolving and slowly fading away into the background.

Ashei almost pulled away too quickly when the crowd began clapping, but Link held her close. Beside them, Basht chuckled. "Well done, priestess. That was an excellent show. Now, why don't you and your young man quit the festivities for the night before the both of you give us another, yes?"

The two of them shared a look that decidedly said they did not want to do so, and so after the crowd began dancing in groups again the two of them slipped off into the darkness and slowly picked their way back to their room.

For a while, it was quiet. The walk back was longer than either of them had anticipated, and any stirrings of arousal that the dance might have conjured had faded somewhat and a subtly awkward silence replaced it until Link found the courage to grasp Ashei's hand and run his thumb gently over the back, relishing the softness of her skin.

"Did they… did you bathe?" he asked quietly, the first words either of them had spoken since slipping away from the festivities. "I don't… I don't know if it's the wine or if I've just never really noticed, but… your hands are really soft." He brought her hand up to his lips and brushed them across to revel in the sensation.

Ashei felt her cheeks burn, but she'd had a couple of glasses before Pashli had sent her out to begin her dance, so it was difficult for her to tell whether the alcohol was making her warm, or if she was actually blushing.

"I… well, sort of," she mumbled in a similar fashion, "Pashli had this lotion that smelled absolutely divine and she insisted that I rub it all over my skin before I got dressed." Link tilted his head, and she could sense his thoughts before he voiced them. "Link!" she scolded. "Not all over!"

He chuckled and finally he caught sight of the door that belonged to them and opened it. Suddenly he paused, a rush of fear flooding him, but Ashei tugged at him gently and he closed the door behind him while she whispered comforting words in his ear that tickled the soft hairs on the back of his neck. He glanced at the bed, a plush mattress fitted with fine silk sheets and a moderately thick coverlet, fidgeting nervously with the buttons of his vest.

"Ashei, I… I know I said I wanted to do this, but…"

"We don't have to if you've changed your mind," she told him seriously, lying on top of the covers and bringing him down gently so that he could lie next to her. "I must admit I'm a little nervous myself." Ashei held up a hand to stroke his cheek.

"I spent a good portion of my life living alone in an underground complex beneath the Temple with very little contact with other people. By all rights, it should be difficult for me to even interact with others, never mind able to form and maintain a romantic relationship with anyone. But you… you helped make all that easier. I wanted to thank you by making this as good as I possibly could for someone who has lived such a life really can, and if that means waiting until you're comfortable with it, then I will."

Link felt a kind of twanging sensation near his heart, followed by a flood of emotion that he couldn't name. It was a good feeling though, and he brought Ashei closer to him, relishing the feeling of her body against his.

"Thank you, Ashei, I mean that." He smiled, and felt another rush of that emotion run through him again. Then he realized he closeness was doing more than just that, and he felt his breathing change while his heart raced in his chest. "But it's not… I just… I want you. I want you and I don't know what to do about it. Well, I do, but I–"

A finger pressed against his lips, then was removed and replaced by Ashei's lips as she kissed him. It started out soft and gentle and wonderful until suddenly he found himself growling softly, nipping at her bottom lip while simultaneously pulling her against him, his fingers digging into her back.

"I-I'm sorry," he said, immediately pulling away, "have I hurt you?"

Ashei giggled, pressing her forehead to his and waiting until his breathing slowed a little. "No, not at all. And if you really still want to do this, I am… very much willing to try it with you. We both know the… mechanics of how sex works, but you know as well as I do that there's more to it than that. So why don't we just see about removing our clothing first and go from there?"

Link nodded numbly as she placed a hand on the buttons of his vest.

"Would you like me to undress you, or would you rather do that yourself?" she grinned at him. "Or I can undress myself first or you can… there's a lot of options here." He laughed, and he fidgeted beneath her as she sat perched on his thighs, legs on either side of him, being very careful not to touch anywhere near his groin just yet. It was probably as much out of respect for him as it was to keep things from ending too quickly; he got the sense that she wanted to draw this out as long as possible just to see if they could.

He liked her teasing he decided, mostly for how it felt like their usual banter while exploring a temple or traveling on the road. It was familiar and comfortable and he relaxed into that while he returned her grin and lay back against the pillows.

"Do your worst, but it's my turn when you're finished," he said, a little surprised at the slight rasp in his voice.

"Very well," she replied, slowly undoing each button with her right hand while gently massaging his thigh with her left. She wasn't teasing anymore, but her movements were deliberate now, as precise as they'd been when she'd been dancing around the fire. He groaned, and she laughed again when she finally got to the last button.

"Impatient now, are we?"

"No," he whispered breathily, "I was just thinking about the way you move, how precise and calculated everything is… you… you were dancing like that tonight, and I wondered if that's how you've always been and… and if I'm only just now noticing."

He moved to help her remove the vest and waited for her to lift the sheer undershirt above his head, but she shook her head.

"Not yet. I want to try something first." She motioned for him to back up into a sitting position, but still mostly relaxed on the thick, fluffy pillows they'd been given. "And maybe you are just now noticing," she said, letting her hands move up and down his arms and side, her thumbs brushing over the fabric, against his nipples, the sensation making him squirm a little under her weight, which was still perched precariously on his thighs.

"Ashei," he whined, slightly embarrassed at the pitch his voice had been driven to, "that's…nngh." He half moaned, half groaned when she rucked up the undershirt and leaned over him, tentatively licking at one of his nipples while rubbing the other with her hand.

"Sorry," she giggled, pulling the rest of the shirt over his head and left it to join the vest on the floor, "I just wanted to know what they felt like on the tongue, since it's kind of hard to reach my own." He laughed, pausing when she reached the hem of his pants. "Damn," she whispered, "these leave nothing to the imagination, do they?"

The dark pants had already been tight before now, but his desire was certainly quite evident with the light of the moon spilling through the windows behind the bed. He grunted.

"I think that was the idea," he muttered, grateful that Ashei was being as careful as possible with the button and zipper. She hooked her fingers underneath his underwear before pausing to look up, an eyebrow raised in question. "All at once, or pants then underwear?"

He shrugged. "Try all at once first and if that's not working out, I'll let you know." So she pulled both at once, and with some careful maneuvering they were able to get them both off in one go, though she did have to pause for an awkward moment to remove his slippers before depositing the pants and underwear with the pile on the floor.

Ashei, unable to help herself, stole a glance downward when she resumed her perch on his thighs. Not like she had anything to compare it to (nor did she ever want to if they lived past tomorrow) but she could say with some degree of accuracy that he wasn't overly large or unusually small.

Swallowing a sudden bout of shyness, she glanced back up. "Well, it's your turn now. Would you prefer we switch positions or would you rather I…"

"As much as I'd like to remain like this, I think we should switch positions for now," he replied, nodding. The transition between was neither quick nor graceful, but that was the point, it seemed. Link let the residual warmth of the wine roll through him as he captured her lips for a bruising kiss, letting his hands roam across her skin while he methodically nipped and kissed his way down Ashei's neck and collarbone.

When she was lying on the pillows comfortably, Link had his nose buried in the crook of her breasts. He pressed closer, tongue licking a little at the skin as he tried to take in the heady scent buried beneath the fabric.

"Alright," he growled softly, "this needs to come off." He glanced up, taking a moment to catch his breathing before doing anything else. She jerked her head backwards. "There's a clasp on the back. Should be pretty easy to undo, though… I think that was the point," she laughed. He grinned back at her and reached backwards for the clasp.

It came undone easily at his touch, and gingerly he removed it and set it aside with his own clothes. The silk pants came next, and he felt himself twitch when he discovered that she hadn't been wearing anything beneath them.

"Goddesses, Ashei – are you trying to kill me?"

She giggled. "Not intentionally. I just loved the feel of the silk so much that I decided I wanted to forgo the underwear. I didn't think about whether or not it would turn you on later… though I suppose I'll remember that for next time."

His hands paused at her words, and she instantly reached up to lock his gaze with hers. "And if we live past tomorrow, you better bet your hat that there's going to be a next time." He chuckled. "Somehow I don't think I should take that bet. I'm rather fond of that hat, you know?"

"Even more than me?" she teased. He groaned again, and Ashei chose that moment to flip them over again, this time not so much perched on his thighs as before but pressed closely against him. Link keened slightly as her sex brushed against his erection, unable to really move much with Ashei's hands pressed firmly against his hips.

"Now you're just being cruel," Link sighed, straining to find more friction, more contact. Not that he wanted to spend himself in such a manner, but she felt so good against him there, so hot and warm… "You know the answer has to be you." Ashei smiled, relishing the sensations his wandering hands were stirring in her. Eventually he undid the bindings of her hair and let it fall freely behind her, adding yet another sensation to her already hypersensitive skin. She mirrored his actions in turn, rubbing fiercely at his nipples again before reaching up to snake her hands in his hair and kiss his again.

"So… now what?" he whispered when she pulled away. "I mean, I know there are a lot of things besides penetration, but I… I really want that. And I want to help you enjoy it." Ashei hummed as she nipped playfully at an ear, to which Link yelped and tried to shy away when she held her hands fast against his scalp. "Well… I don't think I'm quite ready yet," she told him, sitting up.

"I need a little preparation and maybe just a little of the oil we were given," she leered, laughing slightly when she caught sight of it on the bedside.

She reached over and held out the container for him.

"Would you like to try? I can walk you through it. It might be a little weird at first, but you know… just to see if you like it?" She was hesitant now, and Link could see the confidence in her face drain away a little. Link smiled, letting it reach his eyes as he took the container and set it next to him, pulling her so that they were lying face to face with the oil between them.

"Let's try it like this, so we're both comfortable," he motioned to their positions as she got settled. She grinned. "So, kind of like mutual masturbation? Or would that be too distracting?" Link made a noise in the back of his throat that she couldn't identify.

"Might be a little much, yes," he finally managed, "but if you want to help out I suppose I'm alright with that."

At that point he decided that he'd stalled enough, and he opened the lid of the oil container to dip his fingers into it. With his other hand, he carded her hair through his fingers while the oil coated ones reached down, paused, and then finally pressed against her folds, stroking them open gently. Suddenly it was her turn to keen softly with want, and Link felt emboldened by this sudden development. It was a little weird at first, trying to get used to the sensation of her slick on his fingers while also trying to pleasure her at the same time, but the scent of their arousal was doing its job at keeping his thoughts centered.

"You certainly look like you're enjoying yourself," he purred, pressing his forehead to hers and nuzzling against her skin. She moaned a little as he added a third finger and crooked them just so against a particular spot, after which she decided that turnabout was fair play and she scooped a little oil into her own free hand as she reached to stroke him without hesitation.

Link squeaked a little at her touch, which earned him a smile of amusement from Ashei. "I am, yes. But it seemed to me that you were being left out of all the fun, and I couldn't have that," she replied.

Link removed his fingers then, and Ashei experimentally licked them when she could, curious as to how she tasted. He laughed when she made a face, and decided to try it for himself. It was… interesting, he decided, but there was a little bitter aftertaste that was probably the reason for her distress.

"Are you…" he said at last when he felt ready to move on, "would you…" He frowned, finally shaking his head and smiling sheepishly. "How would you prefer to do this?" She tilted her head, considering.

"I know it's traditional for the man to top, but… I kind of enjoyed sitting on you a little while ago. Would you… be amenable to that?"

Link nodded. "Certainly, whatever you need." Then he grinned. "So, you liked being in control, huh?" Ashei laughed and moved the tin of oil so it wouldn't spill over the sheets as she straddled and pinned him against the pillows again. "And you don't seem to mind," she countered, running her hands across his arms and chest as her nails scratched his skin lightly, watching with approval as he shivered when she hit a sensitive spot.

"I think it's because this whole thing has felt like it's all on me…" he said breathlessly, "which it is, but you know… not really." He waved his hand dismissively. "I just… in this, I can lay back and let go. I can trust that someone else can take care of things when I'm tired and can't go on." He smiled weakly. "Here, I don't have to be in charge."

Ashei hummed in understanding.

"Thank you, Link. That you trust me so much is… it means a lot." Then she caught his gaze and threw him a sultry grin. "But I do hope you'd like to continue. 's sort of the point, yeah?" Link laughed, but the laughter caught in his throat when he felt a hand circling him, and her weight shifting so that she was kneeling above him, waiting.

"You still okay?" she asked, her expression soft but underlined with a slight seriousness. He nodded. "More than. Please…"

His words seemed to fail him then, but Ashei understood.

Then she was slowly lowering herself onto him, and his breath caught, heat flooding his system all warm and heady. He could feel his face twitching from the tension as it simultaneously tried to relax and tense up even further. He felt her around him, clenching experimentally as she fully seated herself. She seemed deep in concentration, slipping into that same pattern of careful precision that made him think of the dance again, which combined with his current situation, made it all the more difficult not to thrust and wait for her.

"Please," he grit between his teeth, "let me know when you want to move. I… nngh." She moved then, her body undulating upwards a bit as her hands – which were so warm and grasping so tightly to his hips that he could swear he'd have burns there in the morning shaped like her fingers – pushed her weight just enough to set fire to his nerves so that he jerked back up into her and teased a low moan from her lips.

Neither of them could manage words after that, not aloud at least. At some point her thoughts brushed his and he welcomed them readily, which added an entirely new sensation that had him gasping and grasping at the sheets, the feelings so much different than he had imagined they would be only hours before. They started a rhythm then, slow at first but that was quickly abandoned when neither of them wanted to wait for the next thrust, that moment of closeness repeated again and again…

Link's hands found her waist and slowly clawed their way up her back. Eventually she was bent over him, and they had to pause to change the angle so that it was more comfortable. Fingers brushed against nipples, nails against skin, Ashei kept trying to bite his ears while he kept trying to imprint every last one of his kisses into her neck.

Ashei whined, and he could tell from her thoughts that she was dancing right on the edge. Dancing, dancing… he couldn't think about that just now – he turned them on their sides and she wrapped her legs around him to bring him closer as he reached down to rub at her folds. Her breathing hitched, her heartbeat pounded against chest. "So… so… Link!" She cried out once, and he thrust again, a thrill of triumph racing though him when he felt her spiral over the edge. Then he groaned, her walls convulsing around him.

Heat pooled in his gut, flooded his skin again, and he arched back as the tension inside him finally snapped, the sensation flooring him and making him feel as though he were falling.

Except he wasn't.

A pair of strong arms settled around him, and a heartbeat later he regained enough of himself to look back into Ashei's satisfied face as they rode out their orgasms. He blinked, the only sounds and movement now consisting of their breaths as they attempted to catch them.

"That was…" "…absolutely wonderful," Ashei finished, when he finally spoke after she'd carefully extracted herself from him and began cleaning them while he brushed her hair slowly. He felt tired, but it was a good kind of exhaustion. Like he could close his eyes and sleep forever, he thought. But something was bothering him, something about…

"Ashei?"

"It's okay, Link. I drank a contraceptive before I left to dance for you. The wine shouldn't affect it either, though perhaps we should be a just a touch more prepared next time if that's what you're concerned about."

She caught his gaze, and eventually he relaxed again. "Thanks, Ashei." She smiled gently. "I'm glad we did this. Gives me something else to fight for when we're slogging through Din knows what when we go to climb that tower." She frowned. "First we're going to have to figure out how to get across, though…"

Suddenly Ashei found herself with a face full of pillow, to which she spluttered indignantly, "Hey!" Link smirked at her. "You were talking too much. Now, do you want your… oh wait. You didn't have any…"

Ashei giggled. "Underwear? Now that you mention it, I suppose I wouldn't mind putting on a pair. You want new ones?" Link nodded.

"Sure," he replied, realizing when he was watching her rifle through his things that he didn't seem to mind her looking through his underwear. He snickered, figuring how stupid that was now, especially when they'd just had sex. She looked up as she was pulling hers on, a grin teasing at her lips.

"What, something funny?"

He made a face at her. She knew what he'd been thinking, her thoughts were still brushing up against his own. Then he was rewarded with a balled-up underwear to the face, which he unrolled and slipped into as they burrowed under the covers. Ashei had also put on a loose sleeping shirt, not feeling comfortable sleeping without one just yet.

That was fine, he decided. Just having her close by was enough.

The following morning Link decided to forgo the red tunic he'd been using and chose to wear the green one instead.

"Yes, yes," Navi grumbled, "you look dashing. Do stop worrying over it."

Link flushed, donning his hat and scowling at the little fairy. "That's not what I'm worried about, and you know it." She sighed, smiling sheepishly.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Just… remember what I said the last time you got all sad about me having to leave after this is all over. Come back to the place where Makar taught you the song of the forest and call for me. I'll answer."

He paused, finishing his equipment check as he slung the Mirror Shield over his shoulder.

"I… thank you, Navi. You're a good friend."

She shrugged again, grinning. "Well, I've not exactly been the best guardian, so 'friend' will have to do, I think." Link scowled as she sat perched on his shoulder while they went to meet everyone else back at the plaza. "Maybe, Navi, being a guardian isn't all about keeping me safe. Maybe all I really needed from you was your friendship."

Navi chuckled. "Huh. Yeah, all right, fine. Stop getting all sappy on me, okay?" Link grinned. "Not a chance."

"Who's getting all sappy on who now?" Anakin asked as Link turned the corner into the plaza. He motioned to the fairy in response. "Navi's being all emotional. I told her to quit it." Navi's wings fluttered and she jingled rapidly in what Link could only assume was some kind of curse in fairy-speak.

"Am not!" she retorted, scowling.

Ashei giggled. "Well, as amusing as this is, Basht and Pashli said we really should be going. They're both going to send us off back to the town so we can pick up Epona and return her back to Lon Lon Ranch." She paused, glancing up at the sky, which was heavily overcast, though it didn't look much like rain. "I have a feeling we should go and do that before less palatable weather changes occur. We still have to pay a visit to the Temple before we try to figure out a way across the pit of doom that stands between us and the castle."

As they were walking back to the valley, Obi-Wan caught the edge of Link's cloak so they could talk.

"You seemed to enjoy yourself last night," the Jedi began slowly.

"Despite you being more like myself in terms of 'I'd rather be anywhere but here,' at least." At first, Link thought he might be referring to what had transpired between him and Ashei, but something in him dismissed the thought and he nodded in return.

"Yes, it was much more than I expected. To know that these people," he gestured to the Gerudo around them, "these people who don't even know me could thank me, celebrate, even adore me for doing something that I thought simply needed to be done… it was both strangely gratifying and grounding all at once." Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes. And before you start getting any ideas, I think that you and Ashei are good for each other. Such relationships are not permitted in the Order, but the two of you make it work."

He hummed, nonplussed, to himself. "Something to think about."

Link wondered if he meant his relationship with Ashei or the Order's views on the subject of romantic attraction.

It would be sometime before he had the chance to ask, though, for as soon as they said their goodbyes and arrived back at town, they were paying the carpenters who had been looking after Epona and returned her back to the ranch where Talon, Inigo, Malon, and Kafei were waiting.

The exchange was brief, and bittersweet. Link knew he would miss the horse, but he intended to survive this and come back to see her again. Even though none of them likely knew where they were going now, Kafei – ever observant Kafei – followed them back out to the edge of the road and wished them luck before turning back inside to go help Malon muck out the stalls.

And after a long trek back to the remains of Castle Town, a half hour spent dealing with the ReDeads that occasionally walked across their path, they finally found themselves standing back in front of the doors of the Temple.

"Feels like it's been an age since we were all last here, huh?" Ashei observed.

Link nodded. "Well, whomever's waiting for us isn't going to want to be kept waiting, right? We shouldn't dawdle. Though, if it's who I think it is, I don't know…" He was certain now that the person waiting for them would be the mysterious Sheik. But… Sheik's whole identity had been bothering him ever since he'd mentioned him to Impa over a week ago.

He and his companions opened the door, the hinges creaking as loudly as they had before. They likely hadn't been oiled in years, Ashei thought. Something she would have to rectify if she actually took on the role of priestess. They walked in, the hinges closing behind them as their footsteps echoed over the walls of the Temple. They all paused, standing over the pedestal that bore the symbol of the Light Medallion.

Ashei knew that's what it was because it was deeply etched into the base of her blade. Then she frowned.

"I thought that someone was supposed to be waiting for us?"

"And you would be correct in that assumption," said a voice softly from the shadows behind them. "I have been waiting here since the last of the seals was lifted."

They all turned at once to greet the owner of the voice, and to no one's surprise, they were greeted with the sight of Sheik himself. Link frowned, tilting his head to observe the young man. All the other times he had appeared before them he had been energetic, confident, cocky even. This seemed like a different person that stood before them: hair unkempt, wrappings slightly undone, and his usual Sheikah uniform hidden completely beneath a dark navy colored cloak.

"Are you…?" Link tried to ask, but Sheik shook his head sharply.

"We do not have the time to tarry," he replied quickly, "there are things I must tell you. Things I should have told you when we first met."

Link felt his brows knit together in confusion. Why did he have the feeling that meant more than he thought it did? He glanced back to where the Master Sword's pedestal sat empty.

"You mean here, or…?"

Sheik fixed him with a tired stare, but didn't answer the question. Instead, he said quietly, "You know that Ganondorf touched the sacred triangle, yes? That he used you to obtain the golden power he thought could save his son? It might have, you know. If his heart hadn't been so twisted by the Sith Lord who came to poison it with his empty promises."

His single visible eye closed for a moment and they watched as his shoulders fell in what looked like defeat.

"I know this story," Ashei said pointedly. "The sacred power lies within a realm that mirrors what is in our hearts. If one with a completely evil heart enters it, then the realm will become corrupt and full of evil, and if one pure of heart does so, it will become a paradise." She shrugged.

"But what does that have to do with why we are here?"

"I was getting to that," Sheik drawled, a soft note of exasperation mixed with laughter lightening his voice a little to where Link could almost hear the man who had teased and baited him after all this time. "Anyway, if you know the story, then you also know what each piece of the Triforce represents."

Ashei nodded somberly. "The three true forces: power, wisdom, and courage."

Obi-Wan turned to Ashei at the mention of the word 'force,' and after a moment asked her what she meant by that. "When you were explaining the – what did you call it? – the crash course version of Hyrule's creation myths, you never said anything about it before." Anakin nodded. "Yeah, I think I would've remembered that."

"It's not exactly common knowledge," Ashei admitted, "the only reason I know about it is because… is because my father taught it to me. Perhaps it is something that is only passed through the priesthood? I don't know exactly, the tales go back thousands of years, to the time of the last Hero and Princess of Destiny that this happened to!"

Link scowled. Why was that phrase so familiar to him?

Wait. Now he remembered.

"The princess said something like that when I first met her in her private gardens," he said slowly. "She told me that events like these had happened before, and that she wanted to prevent them from happening in the same way, but… if that's true then… did we even accomplish anything?"

Sheik shrugged. "Perhaps, perhaps not. Many of the events of the past are now mirrored in the present, but there are a few things that have changed. You, for one, travel in a company of four plus your guardian. The Hero of the ancient past only had his fairy and himself on his travels." Sheik closed his eye again and mumbled in a still softer voice, "Perhaps that, if anything, is what will make a difference this time."

Ashei bit her lip, still thinking about one thing in particular that Sheik had yet to mention. "You forgot a piece of the myth: about when one's heart is unbalanced, but not completely consumed by virtue or sin. If someone whose heart is neither of those things, then the Triforce splits, with one piece remaining in the person who touched it, and the other two pieces seeking refuge in the two who most embody or believe in those particular forces."

She glanced up at the dark sky that could be seen from the large glass windows sitting in the rafters above.

"And if I remember those tales correctly, the last person to enter the sacred realm in such a way was an ardent believer in the force of power, so much so that in the end it consumed him. Which means… that the Ganondorf of the present is likely in possession of that same force, leaving the other forces of Wisdom and Courage… missing. Though if he still wishes to obtain the golden power he'll likely have been looking for those pieces in the seven years since he became king." She stared at Sheik, wide eyed.

"You… know where they are, don't you?"

Beneath Sheik's cowl, she could almost detect a hint of that familiar self-assured smile. "Well, yes. And I believe our dear Hero knows where one is as well, if he's willing to admit it to himself. Isn't that right?"

Link's breath caught in his throat. He could feel their eyes on him, and there was a knowing glint in Ashei's that he remembered seeing that night before they'd entered the Spirit Temple. He held out his hands and stared at them, recalling the thrill of the magic that had come to his fingertips to physically fight off the first Iron Knuckle, and to mentally fight off his fear of the second. He called to it, gently, tugging at the Force and his own magic in equal parts, watching with wonder as they began to glow softly with a golden light, almost pulsing in time with his own heartbeat.

A small symbol of the Triforce appeared on the back of his left hand, the lower right triangle blazing with light, the others faded, but present.

"Courage," he whispered, his voice tinged with something close to reverence.

Sheik nodded slowly. "Yes. And while you may have had this all along, your connection with it had to form slowly so that it did not overtake you and make you reckless in your courage. Now it is the Force at your fingertips, fortified and strengthened by power that your very blood gives you: magic. The energy that all Hylians can, in some form, manipulate as easy as breathing."

"But what about the other piece?" Anakin questioned, his voice a little too loud as it startled Link into letting go of the power in his hands, the glow fading. But Link caught Sheik's gaze and held it for what felt like an eternity.

He stepped back; blinking, bewildered in his own realization.

"You," he breathed, "it's… you."

Obi-Wan frowned as he turned his body towards the Sheikah. "What? What does he mean by that?" A glance at Link revealed nothing more than amazement. "You mean you have…?"

"Yes," Sheik said. But everyone besides Link was startled when the timbre of his voice changed, became lighter, almost feminine. "Yes, I am the seventh sage, destined to be the leader of them all, embodiment of the Triforce of Wisdom, and…"

And then a gloved hand pulled back the cloak to reveal not the uniform of the Sheikah, but the armor of a battlemage, tailored in white leather with gold and purple trimmings. The gloved hand brushed aside the wild blond bangs, revealing eyes that were no longer red, but a brilliant crystalline blue. The cowl was pulled down, the wrappings pushed back, until finally all of them could see who Sheik had truly been:

"…the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda."

I'm going to end this here, because all that smut made this chapter run a little longer than I had intended it to.

Also, if anyone wants to know what Zelda's armor looks like (because no way is this chick going to run around in a dress, even if she can pull it off), look up Dragon Age Inquisition Battlemage Armor, and that's pretty much it, but with white leather, purple cloth, and gold buttons and all that jazz.

I go back to school on Monday, so I thought I'd gift ya'll with a present before I disappear again for a while. I hope to finish the last two (three?) chapters within the year, but considering my track record, I wouldn't hold me to that. Anyway, if you're looking to see some other cool content of mine, I'm writing a 'journal entry' series revolving around my second playthrough of Inquisition with my Inquisitor Aurelia Lavellan and of course my less than routine updates to my webcomic series over on my Tumblr accounts 'timesorceror' and 'timesorcerorwebcomics.'

- Hikari no Vikki