Lavender and Pine:
Chapter One:
Revelation

Link was thinking hard. What about? The young sheikah who just happened to be his guide.

Sheik was a mystery to the Hero of Time. Link was completely and utterly in the dark about the younger teen. Every time Link got close, Sheik would simply disappear.

After the defeat of Ganondorf, Link had been sent back, had gone to Termina, returned to Hyrule with Navi in tow, and turned eighteen. Not long after, Impa had told Zelda and Link they were siblings. Thus, Link became prince of Hyrule in secret.

Then Sheik reappeared, revealed he was Impa’s nephew, and promptly left again. After a few months of living in the castle and having contact with him, Link, slowly but surely, found himself falling in love with the other blonde.

So, the prince of Hyrule and Hero of Time was devising a plan to corner the Sheikah and talk to him. He knew exactly what to do.

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The needles embedding in the man’s flesh before he knew what happened. He screamed and stumbled back. Red eyes glared at him.

The assailant fell back more, before bumping into something solid.

Fearful brown met simmering, raging blue. A punch to his gut sent him to the ground. Behind Sheik, Zelda was getting to her feet, tears drying on her face.

The man looked up at the person who had punched him. It was an eighteen year old man, with dirty blonde hair, and stormy blue eyes, one of which had a scar through it. He was tall, and extremely thin. He looked like a punch might kill him, but that hit revealed only a portion of his true strength.

He was wearing a dark green tunic and matching hat, off-white undershirt and leggings, and worn, leather boots and gloves. He also wore two leather belts; one around his waist, the other across his chest.

The young man bent down and grabbed hold of the assailant’s shirt. The blonde dragged him up right, other hand joining the first.

Link growled through his bared teeth, “Are you the one who was trying to hurt her?”

The man nodded dumbly.

“You just tried to force yourself onto her highness, Princess Zelda.”

The assailant’s eyes widened. He turned his head to the girl. She glared at him, head held high. She undid her cloak to reveal an elegant but plain, pale blue dress. Then, she held up her right hand.

Link had to glance at it for a split second, only Sheik noticed. The triforce emblem appeared there, golden against Zelda’s pale skin. It faded, and she dropped her hand.

The man looked back to who was holding him. All he saw was a fist to his face.

Link let the man drop to the ground, unconscious. He walked toward Zelda, and wrapped his arms around her. Zelda’s mask of strength broke, and she sobbed into his shoulder.

When he thought the Hero wasn’t paying attention, the sheikah glanced down at Link’s left hand, which was folded over the right. The triforce emblem was burnt into the leather, and all pieces were clear. Sheik made no reaction, but he would corner Link and question him later.

He didn’t see Link looking at him in triumph.

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Several hours later, Link was sitting in his hidden room in the castle. Zelda had insisted on it. Unbeknownst to anyone, Link had placed a spell on his room, only allowing Zelda, Sheik, the sages, and few select others to know of it.

He was waiting for the sheikah to appear at random. Sitting in a chair with his back to the door, drawing what he saw out the window. Navi was asleep in his hat, which lay discarded on his bed next to his gloves.

The soft, barley audible snap alerted him to the other blonde’s arrival. Link smiled. “I was wondering when you would come.”

The smiled widened. He knew he had surprised the sheikah with the sharp intake of breath he barely heard.

“I assume you know why I’m here then, Hero.”

Link turned to face Sheik, replying, “No, actually, I don’t. Enlighten me.” The smile remained on his face.

Sheik glared, “You know exactly why.”

“Oh, I do, do I? Would it, by chance, perhaps have to do with this?” Link held up his un-gloved left hand. The whole Triforce showed golden there.

Sheik remained passive, and asked, “How did that happen?” Link sighed.

“It was the battle with Ganon. When Zelda was holding him with her powers, she accidentally gave her piece to him. He didn’t know it until right before I plunged the Master Sword into his head. He used it to create a quick spell which would allow him to live forever. It only came into effect after I had sent him into the Sacred Realm.”

Azure met scarlet. Scarlet widened in realization. “You mean you-”

“I killed Ganon, yes. And there are only four ways in which one can gain the Triforce. You enter the Sacred Realm, it is split and a piece goes to you, someone gave you their peace, willingly or accidental, or…You kill the one who has it. Ganon, Zelda, and I did all of those four things, somewhat together. Now, all that Ganondorf has to look forward to is an eternity of suffering.”

“Does anyone else know?”

Link shook his head, “You’re the only one.”

Sheik felt a strange sort of honor in being the first to be told this, but it passed just as quickly as it came. They were quiet for sometime, and the sheikah had a chance just to see how the hero looked.

In all honestly, Link looked tired, sick. Too old for his age, physically (18) and mentally (25). The fire of determination he once had had gone out. He looked like he had seen too much in too little time…and like he had seen things no one should ever see.

Link got up from his chair and walked over to the chest at the foot of his bed. It had no lock, so it looked like you could just open it. Link did so, and moved so Sheik could see. It was empty.

The hero closed the lid. Carved into the dark wood was the Triforce, barely visible. He ran a hand over the carving and it shown white. Again the chest was opened.

It wasn’t empty this time.

Inside were masks. Many of them. On top were nine different ones. Three of them looked like races of Hyrule; a zora, a goron, and a deku scrub. Five looked like monsters, one of which was in four pieces. The last Link picked up.

He held it out to the other blonde. Sheik took it, a studied it.

It actually looked a little bit like Link. The face was pale, hair was white, and the eyes were blank and had no pupil. There were two red strips on the cheeks and one above the eyes, and a blue band across the forehead.

Sheik looked up at Link. Scarlet eyes widened and quickly scanned the room.

The secret prince had disappeared.

Suddenly the mask had gone from the sheikah’s hands. Link stood in front of him, mask in an iron grip.

Azure eyes were clenched shut, teeth were bared. Link looked like he was having a metal struggle. Then his hand relaxed, his eyes flew open and he glared at the mask.

Sheik stared, backing up against the wall. Link turned and hurled the mask at the opposite wall, then sank to his knees clutching his head.

“Link?”

The hero’s muscles relaxed and he stood up. “I’m sorry, Sheik. But that mask is special. It houses the spirit of an angry god. Kishin, the Fierce Deity. Somehow, he has settled himself somewhat in my mind.”

He turned to look at Sheik, and there was haunted look in his eyes now. Link sat down on the bed, hand massaging his temple.

“I think it’s time for you to leave. I only ask that you don’t tell anyone anything you heard here. Please?” Link looked at him pleadingly.

Sheik nodded, “As you wish, Hero.” There was a snap, and Sheik disappeared.

Link breathed out a sigh of relief, fell back on the bed, and closed his eyes.

“Why, Sheik? Why must you be so freakin’ mysterious? Why did you make me fall in love with you? Why?”

He rolled over, and almost immediately fell asleep.

Outside the door, Sheik was wide eyed, Link’s last words echoing through his head.

-TBC-